Billed as a 'reimagining' of his Buenos Aires restaurant of the same name, which opened back in 2001, Sucre London will champion a cooking style that 'combines traditional Latin American open fire techniques with a broad palette of international influences'.
Taking over the former home of the London College of Music, the ground floor restaurant will hold 123 covers and occupy the high-ceilinged space that was previously the College’s concert hall.
Meanwhile, Tato Giovanonni, who was head bartender at Sucre in Buenos Aires when it first launched and is the owner of Floreria Atlantico (currently ranked number 7 in The World’s 50 Best Bars), will oversee underground bar Abajo, which will sit directly beneath Sucre and hold 75 covers.
The restaurant décor, designed by Japanese architect Noriyoshi Muramatsu, will pay tribute to the building’s heritage, combining the faded grandeur of its historic fabric with industrial features and bespoke chandeliers consisting of over a thousand cut glass decanters.
Sucre's menu will focus on Latin American open-fire cooking, with dishes including ox cheek quesadilla; scallop tiradito with jalapeño and pomegranate; monkfish tail with XO sauce and black beans; and half chicken 'al Ladrillo' with onion fondue.
Downstairs, Abajo will take inspiration from the underground bars and clubs of early 80s Buenos Aires, with exposed brick walls, a solid steel bar, and 'eclectic' furnishings.
Tato’s cocktail menu will 'embody the colour and rebellion of the period' and include the 'Pink & Bitter' featuring a distallation of Fernet Branca, coke and fresh cherries, pink grapefruit and pink grapefruit soda; the 'Something Yellow' with Altos tequila, Strega, banana, flowers and turmeric; and the 'Something Orange' with Abasolo whisky, Nixta corn liqueur, sweet corn, peanut and pumkin chicha.
