Londrino, London

According to their website (here), “Londrino, the first restaurant from Leandro Carreira will observe the flavours, traditions and ingredients from Leandro’s native Portugal, through the eyes of a chef that now calls London home.”

Based in the Snowsfields Yard development, near London Bridge, the restaurant is large and spacious by London standards – dominated by a chandelier made from a de Havilland Goblin jet engine, the involvement of Singaporean restaurateur and hotelier, Loh Lik Peng is evident.

Leo (Leandro) is well known to London diners from his days as head chef of Nuno Mendes’s Viajante. For me, his pedigree shines, having spent time in the kitchens of three of my favourite restaurants in the world Lyle’s, Koya and Mugaritz.

As you expect from a Portuguese chef, the seafood was excellent. The prawns, kokotxas and octopus, were all highlights - dishes were visually striking, refined and modern. Limiting components on the plates allowed natural flavours to shine. Where innovative, confident flavour combinations had been employed (such as the Asian flavours of amazake and red pepper miso), the chef’s great skill kept these well balanced.

Although seafood dominates the menu, it was the pork dish that really wowed. True to the chef’s style, the plating of the Bisaro pork, dry buttermilk, salsify dish was appealingly simple. Yet, cooked pink, the presa was characteristically full of flavour - its sweetness grounded by the biscuity buttermilk and earthy salsify.

Sourdough & cultured butter

Morecambe Bay oyster & onion brine

Mylor prawns

Prawn tartare, chestnut

Cod kokotxa & amazake

Hispi cabbage, black garlic & cabbage juice

Octopus, red pepper miso, daikon

Bisaro pork, dry buttermilk, salsify

Grilled soaked brioche, sour caramel, hazelnuts

Ice creams: caraway, caramel & vanilla, beetroot sorbet

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