Polpo opens new bar

Polpo, the London take on a Venetian bacaro, is to open a new bar below its main dining area. Open in the evenings only, the Polpo Cicheti Bar is due to launch on 8 February, serving a selection of cocktails, northern Italian wine and light snacks.

The news follows last week’s revelation that Polpo has been awarded a Bib Gourmand by the 2011 Michelin Guide to Great Britain & Ireland. The award was introduced by the guidebook to recognise venues offering "good food at moderate prices."

Although Polpo accepts lunchtime bookings, no dinner reservations are taken so the extra evening space will add valuable capacity to the current 50-seat venue.

Co-owner Russell Norman explained: “Opening a cicheti bar underneath the main dining room allows us to get back to the inspiration behind Polpo: quick snacks and small glasses of wine in an informal setting.”

Dishes on offer downstairs will include artichokes with proscuitto, chilli-marinated baby octopus and mortadella wrapped in gorgonzola and walnuts.

Having opened Polpo in Soho in 2009, its owners have since launched sister restaurant Polpetto nearby, with a third site, Spuntino, due to open later this year in Covent Garden.

Gabriel Savage, 25.01.2011