The chefs and restaurateurs will launch a residency at 10 Heddon Street in London’s Mayfair as part of a new partnership initiative from The Crown Estate and Montana Fogg.
Chris Leach, whose culinary history includes Kitty Fisher’s, Pitt Cue and Petersham Nurseries, has joined forces with Smokestak’s David Carter to offer a menu focusing on hand-made pasta alongside in-house butchery and charcuterie.
Carter said: “David and I have spent many evenings cooking, eating and drinking together, and always shared the same philosophy and approach to restaurants.
“When the Heddon Street site popped up, it was the perfect opportunity for us to collaborate together for a couple of months and have some fun. It will be an informal vibe that is all about sharing good food with great friends.”
A daily changing tasting menu will include snacks such as focaccia and a selection of house-made salumi including mortadella, coppa di testa and fennel salami alongside larger dishes such as gazpacho with Cornish crab; fried ciccioli with apple ketchup; and a pea and summer vegetable ragu.
A section of the menu dedicated to hand-rolled egg pasta will feature dishes such as rigatoni with pumpkin seed pesto and anchovy; garganelli with spicy pig tail ragu; tonnarelli with brown crab cacio e pepe; and sheep’s milk ricotta ravioli with Calabrian chilli oil, London honey and poppy seeds.
Desserts are set to include cannoli filled with whipped sheep’s milk ricotta, candied orange peel and salted caramelised hazelnuts.
Senior Asset Manager of Central London at The Crown Estate, Katerina Mercury, said: “In taking a more agile approach to the 10 Heddon Street unit, we now have the ability to invite more creative partners on a short-term basis to add fresh exciting ideas to London’s dining scene.”
The site was formerly occupied by Magpie, the Birdman Group’s second restaurant, which closed in March this year.
Chris Leach and David Carter will launch their residency at 10 Heddon Street on 18 July.
