Temper to open second site focused on gin and curry

Neil Rankin, the mastermind behind London’s barbecue-based meat metropolis Temper, is to open a second site in the City specialising in curry cooked over an open fire pit, New World wines and gin.

Named temper City, Rankin’s second site will open on 24 July in Angel Court and follows the original Temper, his first solo venture, which opened in 2016 and specialises in meat cooked ‘low and slow’ over oak and charcoal using unique smoking techniques developed by the chef.

An open fire pit and meat will also be at the centre of temper City, with Rankin this time focusing on curry, with animals bought in whole and butchered nose to tail on site. The 242-cover restaurant will have an open kitchen at its centre with a six-metre-long grill, two tandoori ovens and a poultry smoker, as well as an indoor bar and small courtyard drinking area.

Dishes set to feature include mutton rolls and Laksa lamb belly stovies, curries such as the Lamb scotch bonnet vindaloo, meatball marrow masala, Dashi chip shop chicken (a chicken stock based thick curry with dashi and spices, poured over temper smoked chicken) and crispy egg with katsu.

As well as being open for lunch and dinner service, temper City will also be open for breakfast, which is unique to the City site, when guests can expect boiled egg and peshwari naan soldiers, Banana curry and roti, avocado, poached egg and sambal roti and bacon congee.

As for drinks, temper City is promising a list of 20 worldwide gins, including Xoriguer from Menorca, The West Winds from Australia and KI NO BI from the Kyoto Distillery – Japan’s first dedicated artisanal gin distillery. Each gin will have its own gin and tonic and its own bespoke gin based cocktail created by the Temper bar team.

Meanwhile its wine list will focus on the New World with an emphasis on wines from North and South America, alongside some Old World offerings.

The soft launch of temper City will run from 24-29 July when 50% off food will be offered to diners.