The old Japanese Canteen site on Paradise Row has been taken on by a new hospitality partnership in Chris Tanner and Edwin Frost, who will open a new listening bar and food concept there on March 1.
Tanner, the co-founder of Dram London, and Frost, of Half Cut fame and the brains behind Shoreditch wine bar Oranj, said Câv is inspired by the listening bars of Europe, with a drinks list rooted in “timeless classics” and changing kitchen residencies for established and emerging chefs.
The drinks list will be split into three parts, including “one sip” numbers, “signature” takes on traditional cocktails, and pre-batch sharers designed as an alternative to wine.
Among the most promising drinks revealed to the Standard are the house martini for £7 (the same price as Rasputin’s in Hackney) made with gin or vodka, a £12 cosmo (is it back?) and more contemporary cocktails. Picantes will blend tequila, chilli, coriander root and vermouth, while the Tu (Bazo) is to be a mix of mezcal, coconut, pineapple, arbol chilli and Sauternes.
Frost said: “The great thing about having a space like we do on Paradise Row is that it was almost like a blank canvas for us. We had the freedom to create something unique. Our entry level cocktails sit at a price point which is friendly for those looking to explore cocktail culture.”
First up in the kitchen is Tasca, a food and wine concept inspired by food from the Iberian peninsula. Founded by chef Josh Dallaway and sommelier Sinead Murdoch, dishes include jambon beurre gildas and a cachorrinho, a sandwich from Porto which mixes pork, prawns, Ossau Iratty and piri-piri oil.
Sharing dishes will include cured British tuna with fried eggs and crispy potatoes, Dorset clams in a chilli and garlic sauce from Bilbao, and a bikini sandwich, increasingly popular in London after cropping up at Jose Pizarro’s restaurant Bermondsey early last year.
Murdoch’s wine list, meanwhile, will celebrate women, with 80 per cent founded or made by women in Spain, Portugal, and across Europe.
“I’m super excited to be partnering with Ed to create a food and drink concept which marries bartending excellence with culinary expertise,” said Tanner. “We want Câv to feel elevated but to maintain that approachable East London grit that Bethnal Green does so well.
“We’re super excited to have Tasca on board too as Josh and Sinead’s menu perfectly complements our drinks list for our first chef residency.’’
Câv will open on Saturday March 1. Wednesday to Sunday, 5pm – 1am; bookings can be made at cav255.london
