STEVIE PARLE’S NEW RESTAURANT TO OPEN IN CLERKENWELL IN FEBRUARY 2017
Since opening his very first restaurant back in 2009 at the age of just 24, chef, writer,
author and TV presenter Stevie Parle has wowed critics and public alike with his
exceptional dining spaces. Now February 2017 will see the former Young Chef of
the Year launch his fifth restaurant, Palatino, in the heart of Clerkenwell.
Like his other restaurants – Dock Kitchen, Rotorino, Craft London and Sardine –
Palatino will epitomise Stevie’s belief that dining out should not just be about the
food, but the whole experience, whether it’s the greeting at the door, the design of
the space, the drinks or the vibe in the room.
This casual all-day restaurant is very much a celebration of the food of Rome, a city
Stevie first visited at the age of 17 (when he was a commis chef at River Café),
armed with a pocketful of recommendations from Rose and Ruth, and where he has
returned many times in the 15 years since.
Palatino is named after one of the seven ancient hills of Rome, as well as the classic
Hermann Zapf Italian typeface that has been incorporated into the restaurant’s
beautiful graphic identity by renowned agency Here Design. It offers simple, elegant
and tasty dishes, many of them based on Stevie’s own memories of obsessing over
pizza bianco or revisiting classic restaurants like Piperno, on the edge of the Jewish
quarter, for another taste of their artichokes served whole and crispy.
Palatino’s open kitchen is designed around three core elements: a fresh pasta
machine; a wood burning grill for an array of meat dishes and a stone oven for fresh
pizza bianco and pastries.
Dishes will range from creations based on ancient Roman recipes – themselves a
product of Rome’s diverse cultural and culinary history – through to more
contemporary offerings; all given the Stevie Parle treatment. Thus traditional dishes
such as fried sage & apple with honey and chicken & pistachio meatballs with
polenta & squash (a nod to the city’s centuries-old Jewish community) will sit
alongside the likes of native lobster, chilli & fennel with fried potatoes and chocolate
tartufo, cherry & whipped cream, which is Stevie’s very 21st century take on the choc
ice.
Pasta lovers will be in for a particular treat. Freshly made on site each day, and set
to become house specialities, will be such hearty creations as bombolotti ragu
Palatino; bucatini Amatriciana and maltagliati with red mullet & tomato.
Dishes are divided into antipasti, primi, secondi and dolci, but Palatino is as great a
spot for a four course Italian feast as it is for a simple plate of pasta and a glass of
wine.
For the more time-pressed, Palatino will offer a Presto Menu, served daily before
7pm and priced at just £15 for two courses or £19 for three.
The 45 bin, all-Italian wine list embraces discovery and allows diners to enjoy all
wines by the glass. It will be divided into Tipico (classic), with great examples of
Italian wines such as Chianti and Ribolla Gialla; Unico (unique), more esoteric
suggestions, including biodynamic and natural wines, and Speziale (special) rare
vintages often bought at auction, or very small production bins, and sold at a fixed
mark-up that represents incredible value for money.
Palatino will also house a dedicated bar and banked seating area. During the day
this space will serve pizza bianco, sandwiches, salads, soups and excellent coffee.
The restaurant’s pared back but elegant interior, including a curved cast concrete
bar and warm yellow leather upholstery, ensures the ambience is as comforting and
unpretentious as the food and service.
Various styles of lighting and seating – from the large communal table at the front
to the more formal booths at the rear of the restaurant – have been designed to
create different sections, ensuring that Palatino moves seamlessly from buzzing
daytime eatery to a slightly more formal, but no less vibrant, restaurant in the
evening.
Commented Stevie, “I’m incredibly excited to be opening this new neighbourhood
Italian restaurant. Palatino will focus on Rome, using the ‘vocabulary’ of the local
food to recreate the classics, like a true cacio e pepe, but to also create new dishes
that hark back to their roots but are nevertheless contemporary in execution. For me
Rome is Italy’s culinary melting pot and I can’t wait to bring its myriad of flavours to
Clerkenwell.”
Palatino will open seven days a week for breakfast through dinner.
Palatino | Fora | 71 Central Street | Clerkenwell
www.palatino.london
