A cockle-warming six-month residency from an ex-Petersham Nurseries chef
Newly opened Emile has quietly filled the Curtain Road space where white-walled Scandi restaurant Rök once dished up smoked meats and pickles. And things are now more moody-romantic than Nordic minimalist, with dark navy walls, creaky floorboards and a chunky wooden bar, all atmospherically lit by candles in heavy gold vintage candlesticks. There's an old fireplace painted the colour of double cream and an open kitchen at the back, where ex-chef director of Petersham Nurseries Damian Clisby stealthily cooks up the heartiest of meals. It's the type of twinkly place where you linger on longer than you'd planned over a mid-week supper, forget about work the next morning and order another bottle from the brilliantly chosen wine list. Heavy on Old World vintages, it's the work of co-owner Nick Gibson, the landlord of Islington locals' favourite The Drapers Arms. Clisby, who in his previous role had to oversee scores of covers and huge brigades of staff, is in his element here, serving honest-to-goodness food to a cosy room of diners with a switched-on, super-friendly team of five. Emile is named after his grandfather, who had strong Italian roots. That European link is celebrated in his creations here, as the best seasonal British ingredients are given flashes of French, Italian and Spanish flair. |
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