Locale - new Restaurant and Cocktail Bar

[Marco]

Hello East Dulwich,

East Dulwich needs a good Italian restaurant so that's what we intend to build on the site known as 'The Green'. We've been talking to Robert for 6 months about selling us the site. Me and my two business partners all hail from South London and have been in the restaurant business for 30 years and we think this is a lovely site in a great area. We want to build a vibrant busy restaurant, bar and function space but one very much a local for locals so we welcome your feedback. We'll be getting involved in some local activity too like the Goose Green Fair and the Dulwich Festival. For the foodies out there you'll be relived to know our chefs are Italian and our head chef lives just around the corner. He's a bit difficult and insists on everything being really Italian (no cabonara!) so we make everything fresh so yes, we bake own breads, make our own sauces and pastas and bring our flour, cheese and oils from Italy. We'll have a new bar too, but we'?ll be focused on cocktails and nice wines, not beer. We'll also have a private dining room for dinners and meetings. We change our menu and wine list 4 times a year. One more thing we spend our time working in the restaurant so if you decide to come along please say hi and we'll get you a Bellini! Proofs in the pudding really (in our in case our ragu sauce). Ciao. Mark, Mark and Douglas

[Pickle]

Good luck guys, it sounds brilliant, a much needed addition to the dining options in ED.

[Rolo Tomasi]

Locale

[Cassius]

Good luck from me too - I look forward to it - especially fresh pasta and breads, and lovely fresh pecorino! And nothing wrong with being 'difficult' if it means you get good results.

Any chance of a 'masterclass' or two!?

[MadWorld74]

Yes welsome. I eat regularly at Si Mangia, so I hope your competition doesn't close them down. Shouldn't do?

[mockney piers]

Sounds great, it's a tough old business so I wish you all the luck in the world; see you when you open.

[Jah Lush]

The very best of luck Marco and thanks for the posting. I am very much looking forward to wining and dining in your new establishment.

[georgia]

Sounds great, will definitely be visiting

[Ted Max]

It's a Fulham-ED-Blackheath chain, then.

[maxbabe]

Will you be keeping the nice outdoor eating area...improving it even?

Can't wait to try you guys out

[Mark]

Good luck Mark, Mark and Douglas, I look forward to eating at your place. As they say in Italy "Scusa, dov'? la stanza di bagno?"

[PeckhamRose]

It sounds lovely, BUT.......... no BEER?

What about those of us that love beer with our Italian food?

[Keef]

Exactly f**king right!!!! I didn't want to be the first to say it.

[Sandperson]

More importantly no Carbonara. What's the point of an Italian without Carbonara? Si Mangia will still get my business then.

[Cassius]

Keef Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Exactly f**king right!!!! I didn't want to be the

> first to say it.

is that to the chain or to the no beer?

[*Bob*]

Fear not, people! I'm sure there will be some beer.

If I had to guess, I'd say that the drinks menu will be something like (or even identical to) this:

DRINKS MENU

COCKTAILS

Bellini

The classic from Harry?s Bar in Venice. Peach puree topped with Prosecco

Peach Gin Fizz

A refreshing blend of peach puree, Tanqueray Gin and peach liqueur topped

with soda

Mojito

Fresh mint muddled with Appletons Gold Rum with a splash of soda

Gin Giardino

Elderflower and Hendrick's Gin muddled with cucumber

Italian Martini

The Italian Job. Ketel One Vodka infused with Galliano, Chambord and pineapple juice

Caipirinha

A modern classic from Brazil. Fresh limes crushed with brown cane sugar flooded with cachaca rum and crushed ice

Cosmopolitan

Made to the original recipe, Ketel One Vodka, Grand Marnier, cranberry

juice and egg white, shaken Sex In The City style

Classic Champagne Cocktail

A sugar cube steeped in Angostura, slacked with cognac and topped with champagne

Aperol Cooler

A blend of Aperol, Lemoncello and gin with grapefruit and orange juice

Espresso Martini

A great pick-me-up! With fresh espresso, Kahlua and vodka

Berry Bellini

A fruity play on the classic with a choice of blackberry or morello cherry

Bramble

Tanqueray Gin spiked with lemon and laced with mure, served frappe

Tutti Fruitti

A fresh mix of strawberries, passion fruit and apple juice with a kick of Pisco served over crushed ice

Amaretto Sour

An Italian twist on a classic theme Amaretto and lemon juice shaken with sugar and egg white

Margarita

Tequilla and Grand Marnier infused with fresh lime and lemon served straight up with a salt rim

Negroni

A bitter sweet blend of Campari, Martini Rosso and Bombay Gin

Vavavoom

Cointreau sharpened with lemon and sugar syrup charged with Prosecco

43 Martini

Hendrick's Gin shaken with Liqueur 43 and cranberry juice a dry alternative to the Cosmo

La Grand Pasione

Grand Marnier with fresh passion fruit

Amaretto Sour

An Italian twist on a classic theme Amaretto and lemon juice shaken with sugar and egg white

Tiramasu Martini

With white and dark chocolate liqueur, Patron coffee liqueur swirled with mascarpone cream

BEER

Peroni Nasto Azzuro 5.1% abv

Moretti 4.6% abv

Peroni Gran Reserva 6.6% abv

[Cassius]

I've never had Peroni Gran Reserva.......

[*Bob*]

It's like Peroni, only it gets you pissed quicker.

[Keef]

Cassius Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> is that to the chain or to the no beer?

Oh the beer.

I have no problems with chains... Unless they pretend not to be chains.

Of course if a shop opens in ED first, then goes on to open 100 other stores UK wide, that doesn't count as a chain. ;-)

[lozzyloz]

The facts are this place isnt special, it's a normal Italian restaurant trying to be different by buying 'fresh' and charging a wee bit more at the counter and offering a snobbed up menu to entice in those who see standard Italian's as being beneath them.

However Marco, after a few complimentary Grappa's I'm sure you could win me over.

Well it worked for Louisa!

[Indiana]

Sounds fantastic.....

A tip from me - The Green had really bad acoustics (i.e noisy chairs, no soft furnishings for noise to be absorbed - all very tinny which I thought made an uncomfortable dining experience)

If you're currently doing the refurb can you consider whether your restaurant will 'sound' good as well as 'taste' good?!!

[TillieTrotter]

Yummy...when do you expect to open?

[Keef]

Great point from Indiana, acoustics are very important for me when eating somewhere. If you want an example of very bad, go to the burger kitchen place on Lordship Lane!

[Mellors]

Very nice - I hope you will be baby friendly and have high chairs and the like so us local Mums can give you some lunchtime trade.

[suzilucy]

I think YAY! Nice wines, cocky-tails, pizza pie and pasta - GOOD LUCK M, M and D....I look forward to a cheeky Bellini >:D