Tendril's Rishim Sachdeva to open Somerset House café

The chef behind London’s ‘mostly vegan’ restaurant Tendril is to open a new café at Somerset House in May.

Rishim Sachdeva will open Café Petiole, a 27-cover ‘plant-first’ space that will offer all-day dishes and a range of home condiments to take away.

It will be located just off the Edmond J Safra Fountain Court, joining Skye Gyngell’s Spring restaurant and WatchHouse coffee at Somerset House.

Named after the connecting stalk that attaches a plant stem to its leaf, Café Petiole’s menu has been created by Sachdeva and Tendril’s pastry chef Tarryn Williams.

Dishes will include salted piquillo peppers with coriander salsa and ancho chilli dressing; blue corn tostada with smoked artichokes and lime puree; and lemon and poppy seed cake with black pepper curd.

The all-vegan drinks will include kombucha and low-intervention European wines on tap.

"This is a whole new concept and brand for me, and to be launching at a venue I’ve loved since my first visit to London all those years ago is an incredible honour, and we are super grateful to our friends at Somerset House for the opportunity,” said Sachdeva.

Williams added: “Petiole is such an exciting new chapter for us and for plant-based food in London, and I’m so proud to be collaborating on this project.

“From my perspective, a platform in London for incredible vegan baking and desserts is a space that still needs filling, and we are here to do exactly that with Café Petiole.”