Robin Gill (founder of The Dairy and The Manor in Clapham) is about to go east with his new neighbourhood brasserie, Paradise Garage, opening tomorrow in Bethnal Green. With two successful London restaurants and a plenty of praise to his name already, we can’t wait to see what’s going on in Gill’s garage. Read on for the inside scoop, as Robin himself (below, centre) reveals all in our exclusive interview.
How would you sum up Paradise Garage?
A fun, unique and passionate neighbourhood bistro.
How will Paradise Garage differ from The Dairy and The Manor?
It will be different to the others in the fact that the food combinations will be more traditional and British focused.
Why did you decide to concentrate on rabbit here?
Simon Woodrow (our head chef) worked a lot with rabbit in previous roles at Arbutus. Not a lot of people are working with rabbit, so he’s very passionate and keen to showcase it here. We’ll also have dishes such as lamb heart, fennel kimchi and black pepper (above) and globe artichokes, Padrón peppers, fresh curd and chilli salsa (below) on the menu.
Did your Blood Sugar dessert event at The Manor this month inspire any of the sweets or cocktails at Paradise Garage?
Yes! We’re pre-bottling our honey-smoked Manhattan, which is American whiskey infused with our own rooftop honey, smoked with apple wood chips and rested for 12 hours before cooling. Pre-bottling is a technique we picked up from Iain Griffiths at White Lyan, who created the cocktails for Blood Sugar.
Which is your all-time favourite restaurant and why?
Asador Etxebarri in San Sebastian. They’re so passionate about real cooking – it’s definitely worth the trek.
And what about your top bar or boozer?
I go to the King & Co in Clapham, because it’s near my house and has great beers and good music.
Who/what are your biggest cooking influences?
Without a doubt, Raymond Blanc.
What was your favourite thing about working on the Amalfi Coast at Ristorante Don Alfonso?
Aside from the coast and the view – which overlooked Capri – the fresh produce, fresh fish and stunning vegetables and honey (which they produced themselves on the farm) were all a joy to work with.
What’s next for you? Anything to tell?
Right now, we want to focus on the opening of Paradise Garage before moving onto anything else!
Paradise Garage will open tomorrow on Paradise Row – click here for more details.
This article was published 16 July 2015