Pidgin's James Ramsden and Sam Herlihy to open Magpie

27 April 2017 by
Pidgin's James Ramsden and Sam Herlihy to open Magpie

James Ramsden and Sam Herlihy, co-founders of the Michelin-starred Pidgin in Hackney, east London, are set to open their next restaurant, Magpie.

The 54-cover site will be opening in June on Heddon Street, off Regent Street, as a modern British interpretation of dim sum restaurants with diners choosing plates from a trolley.

On arrival guests will be greeted by a drinks trolley of pre-mixed cocktails developed by general manager Ajax Kentish, including Smoke off the Mountain, a rum-based Manhattan-style drink that combines Ron Zacapa 23 and Lagavulin 16; and I'm Jim Morrison I'm Dead, with rye, oloroso, and cherry liqueur.

Ramsden has written a wine list championing smaller, independent vineyards, and lesser known regions and grapes, with a small bias towards California.

The trolley will offer small plates such as mackerel crudo with blueberry kosho and fennel pollen, and Hoi An-style terrine with nukazuke pickles. Trays of hot dishes will include udon noodles with paitan broth, calabrese sausage and cavolo nero, and grilled celeriac with gjetost and a watermelon barbecue sauce.

A small a la carte menu will also be available, including a few Pidgin favourites such as Galician dairy cow with lobster, pommes de terre sarladaises and charred lettuce; and cod, fried enoki, fermented jerusalem artichoke and cep oil. Desserts will include a strawberry panzanella with olive oil ice cream, and a ‘prickly' pear with roasted miso custard and hibiscus, as well as a secret, off menu dish.

The restaurant will feature a poured concrete bar with leather stools, with interiors influenced by both Asia and California, combining canvas-hung walls with burnt wood tiling and a landscape imprinted on the restaurant's back wall.

Herlihy added: "It's less of a 'sharing' thing than just a fun restaurant with damn delicious food. If people want to share their food then great - I do - but we want guests to feel more in control of their dinner and not have to fret over how to halve the third croquette."

Pidgin duo James Ramsden and Sam Herlihy open Enfant Terrible >>

Michelin names 18 new one star restaurants as Fat Duck regains its three-star status >>

Quo Vadis and Pidgin launch Soho Negroni Championship >>

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