6/7/15: Updated with soft launch details and a look at the menu (check out the gallery below).
Best known for being one of the leading lights of the Polpo group as its Chef Director, Tom Oldroyd has now set out on his own, landing in Islington for his first restaurant, the eponymously titled Oldroyd.
He's setting up in the heart of Islington, close to Camden Passage, taking over what used to be a sandwich bar. There, he'll be opening a neighbourhood restaurant seating 40 across two floors. So downstairs there will be a no-reservations café, while they will take bookings for the upstairs bistro. Plus they'll also have a small area for alfresco dining too.
As for the food, it'll change daily and serve small and medium plates at lunch and dinner (priced £4 to £9). The food will use locally-sourced seasonal British produce while also being influenced by Tom's travels to food markets throughout Europe and the US.
We caught up with Tom who told us a bit more about the menu:
- We will serve British-cured meats and cheeses – I am currently working with Cannon & Cannon to develop an English rose veal carpaccio
- There will be snacks such as confit mustard duck wings and pea and pork jowl croquettes with summer truffle mayo.
- Medium plates will include lamb and almond meatballs with salsa romesco and pickled garlic, and there will be salads to celebrate the seasons such as heritage tomato and broad bean with Bartlett cheese and chives.
- We will also serve a selection of warm meat sandwiches including a porchetta roll with stuffing and crackling, and pickled fennel and red onion.
- On a Sunday we will serve an all-day brunch menu which will include bacon and egg pappardelle, cured pork jowl and Ogelshield and waffle iron rosti with smoked salmon and soured cream and chive. Bloody Marys and cold press juices will help with the end of the weekend hangover.
"It’s been my dream for some time to open my own place and now it’s become a reality," says Tom. "I am hugely excited and really hope that Oldroyd will become a great neighbourhood restaurant that Islington locals will want to eat and take to their heart, but also somewhere where anybody can visit and get great yet relaxed service and delicious food.”
Oldroyd opens July 6 at 344 Upper Street, Islington, London N1 0PD. There's a 50& off food soft launch 6-8 July too. To book upstairs, either go to their website or call 020 8617 9010. Downstairs is walk-ins only. For more, follow them on Twitter @oldroydlondon. Photo by Cat Byers
