A view across the restaurant to the open kitchen at Papi
So what do we need to know about Papi?
The first time you might have encountered the folk behind this new Hackney restaurant and bar might have been in the depths of the lockdown when Hot4U was formed. This peripatetic delivery service and supper club popped up all over London for a few years before one of the chefs involved, Matthew Scott, decided it was time to settle down and find a permanent spot. To that end, he joined up with Charlie Carr from Wingnut Wines and the duo have just opened Papi.
Where is it?
You'll find it on Mentmore Terrace in London Fields - so just down the road from the likes of Behind and Bread and Truffle and separated from Brat x Climpson's Arch by the railway.
The cosy bar downstairs
Where's a good place to meet for a drink first?
Handily there's a rather lovely bar downstairs which is just the ticket, particularly when you know there's a cocktail list with drinks like a Spicy Disco Largarita and Nesquik Strawberry Daiquiri on offer.
But if you'd prefer to go elsewhere there's plenty to choose from in the area. We had a nice post-dinner tipple in Off Broadway on Broadway Market and there's the nearby Forest Road Brewing Co tap room if you fancy a beer.
And where should we sit?
There are a few options. If you want to be at the heart of the action then there are a few seats right up at the pass where you can chat to Matthew and his right-hand man in the kitchen, Jack Coggins. There's a row of counter dining to the right as you go in and the rest is ordinary table service.
Get the closest to the chefs by grabbing one of these stools by the kitchen
So what kind of food is it?
It might be easier to answer this with what kind of place is Papi. On the one hand, it's all about being sustainable and zero-waste and on the other, it's key to point out that 'fun' is also one of the keywords here. So while the heart of your dish might be the regeneratively reared meat or sustainably-sourced seafood, the way the dish is constructed - not to mention the atmosphere in which it's served - is what really brings the energy to the table.
It does look as though the menu changes very regularly, but you may find slightly different iterations of these when you go. We kicked off with the garlic bread and while you may be wondering, 'why does garlic bread cost a tenner' the answer comes on its arrival when you're served with a grilled fermented potato bun topped with whipped cheese and wild garlic.
Garlic bread (£10)
Raw bream with wasabi and tobiko (£13) - superb fish, just kissed with that wasabi to elevate it.
Smoked rabbit kielbasa (£10) - this homemade sausage turns up with a walnut ketchup and a choice of either shiso leaves or cabbage to wrap it up in before eating.
Larger dishes started, for us, with a very beautifully constructed dish of Gambas farcelette with red dulse sauce (£17) - two perfectly wrapped cabbage parcels stuffed with prawns and served with a sauce that features seaweed along with all the great stuff from the prawn heads too.
Gambas farcelette with red dulse sauce (£17)
This was followed with a dish that probably sums up the Papi menu - fun, cleverly constructed and so good that you'll be fighting your dining companion over it. The tartare is a very East London take on the classic Parisian bistro dish made using ex-dairy cow beef and topped with what looks like cheese but is actually a cep garum and mustard emulation.
Cheeseburger tartare with fries (£15)
Room for dessert?
Dessert for us was a mixed bag. We honestly did not warm to the buttermilk custard and buckthorn option. We partly blame ourselves for not knowing there was a difference between sea buckthorn and buckthorn, but the latter's definitely an acquired taste.
But, and this is a huge but, the other dessert was so good that days later we're still having daydreams about it. So, on balance, the meal ended on an up because of this dish:
Circus waffle with verjus ice cream, prunes and Ximiniz (£9).
What's better than waffles you might wonder. The answer lies in deep-frying them and dusting them with spiced sugar before serving them up with homemade ice cream and boozy prunes. Just writing that description is making us want to go straight back to London Fields to have them all over again.
With one partner in Papi a wine importer, presumably the wine offering is a good one?
It is indeed. Charlie is an enthusiastic proponent of under-represented natural wines. He's also made the decision to only buy in very small amounts, which means the whole list will change regularly. So you probably won't find the memorably-named Super Tits Chardonnay from German winemaker Bergkloster (£55) that we had from the list. By the time you go, you're guaranteed to find something you like if you let Charlie guide you through what's on offer. There are a few options by the glass, with bottles starting in the low £40s and most in the £50s bracket.
What's this we hear about it being a rowdy restaurant?
Papi is not a quiet and retiring place; if it's rowdy then we mean that is in the best possible way. The playlist on the night we went in was a mostly 80s mix of stuff the kitchen love to party to, and the energy was met in the room too with Madonna proving the spark that really got the party going on the wet Wednesday evening we popped in.
Overall thoughts
It would be very hard to dislike Papi. The team here 100% want you to have a good time, from the fabulous food to the wonderful wines and the scene you'll find. If you're feeling down, come here to be lifted up. If you're already up, come and join the party.
More about Papi
Where is it? 1F Mentmore Terrace, London E8 3PN
How to book: book online here
Find out more: Follow them on Instagram @papi.restaurant.
Hot Dinners dined as guests of Papi. Prices are correct at the time of publication.
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