Russell Norman is set to open
his fourth Polpo restaurant in Notting Hill, almost five years since he and business partner Richard Beatty launched the Venetian bàcaro concept on Soho’s Beak Street.
At 120 covers, the new restaurant will be more than double the size of the next biggest Polpo, and for the first time, the licensing conditions will allow guests to have drinks at the bar area
without eating.
We caught up with Russell Norman (pictured right) to talk Venice, DNA and the growing Polpo family
Why Notting Hill?
We have been very keen to find a good site for our fourth Polpo restaurant for a while. We wanted to open in Notting Hill or nearby and we had looked at various premises in Portobello Road, High
Street Kensington, Westbourne Park and Ladbroke Grove. I have always had a soft-spot for the area; my mother is from Shepherd’s Bush, I was born in west London, I used to watch QPR play at Loftus
Road as a child, and I once lived off Ladbroke Grove.
How will this Polpo differ from others?
This premises has a very large bar and an A4 licence – these are like gold dust. It means that people will be able to just pop in for a drink if they want, without the usual requirement that they
must eat. Without this restriction, I am hoping that there will be a more relaxed all-day vibe, a lot more like continental Europe and Italy in particular.
Is the large site a challenge?
I have worked very hard on the interiors of the restaurant to ensure it retains the essential qualities that make Polpo special. We have built half walls and created separate areas so that it still
feels cosy and intimate.
Has the concept changed or evolved at all since the original Polpo?
I think we have stayed incredibly true to our original vision. There is still a very real rough-around-the-edges feel and the food and drink offer is still very authentic. I go to Venice several
times a year, often with our managers and chefs, and the experiences we have in the back-street wine bars and bàcari feel absolutely in tune with what we offer at Polpo.
This is the fourth branch of Polpo, is it now a chain?
No. I would just consider it the fourth branch of Polpo. Just because siblings have the same parents and the same DNA, it doesn’t make them clones. I put as much effort and love into each branch of
Polpo but no two ever come out the same way. They have their own personalities and characteristics, some of which are completely beyond my control. But if others want to call Polpo a chain, I don’t
mind.
Are you planning more Polpo restaurants after this?
There are no immediate plans, but we would like to open another Polpo or two, yes. We are open-minded about a range of sites in zones 1 and 2, but we want to work hard to ensure that Notting Hill
loves Polpo before we look at more sites.
Polpo has been very influential. How would you say that it has impacted London’s wider restaurant scene?
I’m really not sure. Perhaps it has scruffed it up a bit.
Polpo launches on Saturday 31 May and will have 50% off food all weekend. See our full listing
here.
Published 28 May 2014