This is no joke: on April 1, a new restaurant and bar named after a sad clown will open in London Fields. Auguste – a type of clown from the 19th century that has formed the blueprint for the modern circus clown – is inspired by the forlorn clown in Edward Hopper’s Soir Bleu, and nods to the restaurant’s desire to mix in with a crowd rather than stand apart from or above it. Founders, chef Mike Bagnall (Elm at Peckham’s The Montpelier) and general manager Dylan Walter (ex-Bambi), will take over the former Papi space on Mentmore Terrace (which closed on March 7) with a menu influenced by Abruzzo-style cooking – particularly arrosticini, the region’s flame-grilled skewers. It’s a return to the space for Bagnall, who ran a takeover at Papi in April last year.
Australian-born Bagnall spent time working in Abruzzo, where the cooking is influenced by sheep farming and mountain pastures. Here, that’ll look like lamb, cull yaw (aged mutton), Wagyu, liver and wild boar threaded onto sticks and grilled over flames. There’ll also be other non-skewered dishes, including carciofi alla romana (artichokes), crème fraiche capoletti pasta in lamb brodo and whole grilled fish.
For cocktails, expect a £5 Camparino (Campari, soda and lemon oil), plus Negronis and Martinis – which will be £8 on Wednesdays. The wine list will lean low-intervention with a focus on small producers from Italy. Five drops will be available by the glass and Italian digestifs and amari like Amaro Montenegro and Fernet Branca, as well as a house-made limoncello, will be on the pour as a full stop to the meal.
The space will be split across two levels. Upstairs, a 31-capacity restaurant with white tablecloths and a standing counter for walk-ins. Downstairs, an intimate bar designed for good times.
Auguste opens at 373 Mentmore Terrace, E8 3DQ.
