Angela Hartnett’s Bermondsey Café Murano to open this autumn

Angela Hartnett’s third Café Murano in London’s Bermondsey has been confirmed as opening this autumn, with Adam Jay set to head the kitchen.

The Caterer reported in June that the chef-patron of Murano in London’s Mayfair had submitted planning documents for the site formerly occupied by Sam Harris’ Zucca restaurant, which closed in 2015.

It has now been confirmed that Adam Jay, head chef at Café Murano St James, will be heading up the kitchen, and James Cardy, assistant manager at the St James site, will run the restaurant’s front of house.

The new site will offer many of the dishes that can be found at the St James and Covent Garden restaurants, alongside new dishes. Italian classics such as osso buco alla Milanese and anolini in brodo will be on offer, with antipasti and cicchetti and Italian aperitivo-style cocktails central to the offering.

Small plates will include salt cod fritters, Parmesan and lemon; gnocchi fritti San Daniele; and octopus, borlotti beans, tomato and salsa verde.

The new restaurant will have 110 covers, including a private dining room for 14 guests and an open kitchen.

Hartnett said: “We’ve been looking to open a new Café Murano for some time but have been searching for the right location. We are excited to have found this site, which is where Zucca used to be – it was a restaurant I loved visiting, Sam Harris is a fantastic chef. The area has an excellent food and drink offering, with some great little spots on Bermondsey Street, and nearby Maltby and Borough Market.”

Hartnett operates two Café Murano sites, in London’s St James and Covent Garden. Café Murano first opened on St James Street in 2013, developed as a sister to the flagship Michelin-starred Murano in Mayfair, serving rustic Italian dishes. The Covent Garden site followed in 2015.