Mark Sargeant to open Soho restaurant Morden & Lea
The two-storey restaurant, named after London cartographers Robert Morden and Philip Lea, will open on Wardour Street with Daniel Mertl, formerly of Chez Bruce, The Savoy and La Gavroche, as head chef.
A downstairs space will hold 62-covers and offer a 'casual and relaxed, no reservations atmosphere' with savouries, charcuterie and snacks available from 11am Monday to Saturday. Sundays will offer a brunch menu with options such as open tartines, seafood sausage roll and salt-baked celeriac with parsley pesto.
Upstairs, the 86-cover space will offer a fixed price dinner menu of £35 per person and a set lunch menu with dishes to include roast Goosnargh duck with garlic potatoes, roast peach, broccoli, almonds & chilli; pan-fried skate wing, cauliflower, bacon & caper polonaise & hispi cabbage; pressed Oakchurch Farm strawberries, brillat savarin chantilly & pistachio crumble and Gypsy tart.
Although Sargeant has partnerships with London restaurants Plum & Spilt Milk at The Great Northern Hotel and The Strand Dining Rooms, this will be the first time he has launched a restaurant in central London.
He said: “I am extremely excited to be working with the team at Morden & Lea on the launch my first official central London restaurant. Having been involved with the project from the outset, it’s great to see it finally coming together and I can’t wait to open the doors to the public in June.
"Soho is the perfect location and hope that the dual-offering of a brasserie-style menu served in the upstairs restaurant and a more-relaxed casual sharing menu served downstairs, will appeal to both London foodies and visitors to the capital alike.”
The restaurant's launch will come just two months after the opening of Sargeant's first pub - The Duke William - in Ickham. The former Claridge's head chef also co-owns Folkestone restaurants Rocksalt and The Smokehouse.
