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.
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.”