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Spanish chef José Pizarro is such a force of nature, such a culinary don, such a kitchen king that next month he’s not just opening one new restaurant, but two.
Yep, that’s dos restaurantes, both of which will be found within the refined grounds of the Royal Academy of Arts aka the RA on Piccadilly.
Opening on August 11, the swankier of the two (who are we kidding, they’ll both be well posh), will be known as simply José Pizarro at the RA and will be found on the building’s first floor inside the Senate Room, open from 11.30am until 6pm. Full menu details are yet to be released, but there will definitely be Jamón Ibérico and there will definitely be strawberry gazpacho. And frankly, what more do you need than that, aside from a nice glass of cava to wash it all down with?
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Slightly more casj will be Poster Bar by José – open from 10am until 6pm – with sharing small plates and an informal Spanish café vibe, ft. truffle sandwich, chorizo with vino and quince, pan con tomate and spicy prawn fritters with lemon allioli. So take your mates to Poster Bar and take your dates to José Pizarro. Easy.
Says Pizarro of the new ventures: 'When you see art, it’s all about how it makes you feel… your whole body responds, it’s the same with food – well, good food anyway! The creativity and soul that you find in food and art is the same… you get the same excitement. To be able to bring the two together makes me so happy – it’s an incredibly proud moment for me in my career.'
The two openings mark Pizarro’s first ever central London restaurants, following on from Bermondsey Street’s much loved tapas joint, José, which launched back in 2011, as well as his Broadgate Circle spot.
The RA, Burlington House, Piccadilly, W1J 0BD
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