Trullo and Barrafina alumni to open debut solo venture

Former Trullo chef, Matt Beardmore, has joined forces with Barrafina general manager, Jay Patel, to open an Italian-inspired restaurant in London Bridge called Legare.

Jay Patel and Matt Beardmore

Translating from the Italian as ‘to bind’, Legare will offer 35 covers with a short, changing menu of seafood, vegetables and fruit grown throughout Italy.

Patel said: “The restaurant draws inspiration from the places Matt and I have worked at and travelled. We are not an out-and-out classic Italian restaurant, and do not pertain to be.

“Our aim has always been to find the most delicious produce, farmed in the most sustainable ways, from various farmers across Europe – and use those ingredients to create our version of the Italian food we love to eat. Having lived in south London all my life, I feel a sense of pride in opening Legare south of the river.”

Pasta will be made in-house daily with the menu set to feature tajarin with butter and sage; hand-made semolina-based pastas from southern Italy such as orecchiette with fennel sausage and swiss chard ragù; and stracci with crab, chilli, garlic, saffron and pangrattato. A whole Scottish lobster taglierini dish for two to share will also be available to pre-order.

Antipasta will include fett’unta of goats’ curd and sobrasada alongside daily crudo and oysters.

Desserts on offer will comprise of homemade cannoli with seasonal fillings.

Sommelier at Elystan Street, Cameron Dewar, will curate a wine list with an Italian focus including natural and low intervention bottles.

Beardmore said: “The menu is based on beautiful Italian, British and European produce with a strong focus on vegetables, fruit and seafood. We have taken influences from the best of what the different seasons offer throughout Italy and the wider Med, putting flavour and quality first.”

Legare will open this autumn.