Peter Sanchez-Iglesias reveals details of first London restaurant
The 114-cover restaurant will serve a ‘fresh interpretation of live fire Spanish and Mexican dishes’ with a menu that will comprise para picar dishes, aguachile (Mexican ceviche), tacos, salads, and meat and seafood cooked over open fire.
Individual dishes will include jamon croquetas; caviar-topped tortilla; a table-side prepared Caesar salad; mushroom paella; suckling pig shoulder; XL langoustines; and rib of beef. There will be an a la carte menu as well as two tasting menus available at £65 or £95 per head.
The drinks offer takes strong influences from Spain and Mexico, with a selection of rare agaves from Oaxaca and tequilas made in authentic and traditional methods in clay, copper or hybrid stills.
The restaurant, which is accessed by a red elevator on the outside of the King’s Cross-based hotel, will offer panoramic views of London. It will have an open kitchen, stand-alone bar where food will also be served, and two private dining rooms.
Designed by Shawn Hausman Design, the room will feature rattan ceilings, macramé drapery from Peru’s Cristina Colichon and yellow and red dimple tiles made in Brazil.
Sanchez-Iglesias is owner of his flagship Michelin starred restaurant Casamia, which he opened with his brother Jonray in 2009, and also the starred Spanish restaurant Paco Tapas, which opened in 2017, both of which are based in Bristol.
Speaking exclusively to Restaurant magazine in July ahead of the hotel’s opening, Sanchez-Iglesias said the food and style at Decimo was influenced by Paco Tapas but would be more exploratory. “There is a connection with Spain, but I would not call it a Spanish restaurant,” he says. “We’ll also be looking at Mexican food. I guess it’s ‘Spanish-related’, with a bit of my culture and how I like to cook mixed in.
“Like my other places, we will be championing great quality British produce.”
Speaking closer to the restaurant’s launch he says: “Decimo is all about bringing Spanish and Mexican food together. The combination of my Spanish roots combined with my research and fascination with Mexico, where I was massively inspired by the completely new, yet familiar flavours. This sparked the concept of bringing Mexican influence and technique into our favourite cuisine- Spanish, and showcasing fantastic British produce to execute the menu alongside some of the most renowned artisan drinks producers in Spain and Mexico.”
“Peter is one of the most talented young chefs in the UK, or perhaps anywhere. Not to mention just a totally unassuming, lovely person,” says Standard International CEO, Amar Lalvani. “We immediately saw eye to eye on how we could create something genuine, flavorful, welcoming, social and just fun. The idea of teaming up and giving him this platform to cook food he loves feels just right.”
Opened on 11 July, The Standard, London is the first international opening for The Standard group. It is also home to ground floor bar Double Standard and Isla, the restaurant headed up by former Pachamama chef Adam Rawson.
Read Restaurant's full interview on The Standard, London with Sanchez-Iglesias, Adam Rawson and managing director Bruce Robertson by clicking here.
