Matthew Scott and Charlie Carr are aiming to raise £65,000 via a Kickstarter campaign to help them fund the final stages of the restaurant's build including kitting out the kitchen and dining room, and creating a prep kitchen.
The crowdfund launched last week and will run until the end of January. At the time of writing it had raised £12,829 from 87 backers.
Scott, founder of nomadic kitchen concept Hot 4 U, announced back in November that he would be opening Papi later this year in partnership with Carr, who runs independent natural wine bar Wingnut Wines.
The pair have already secured a site on Mentmore Terrace by London Fields, and have begun work on the restaurant build. Split across two floors, it will feature a ground floor dining room seating around 28 and a cocktail bar beneath with room for 14 more.
As well as going towards the kitchen and dining room, the Kickstarter money will go towards revamping the bathroom and designing the downstairs bar. It will also allow Scott and Carr to have a financial safety net as they launch the restaurant.
Supporters of the crowdfund can benefit from rewards including a free meal, Papi-branded merch, and even having a framed picture of yourself put up in the restaurant's bathroom.
