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Restaurant of the Week: SUCRE

Prepare to fall in love with this brand-new Argentina-inspired destination – and its trendy underground bar

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Our restaurant of the week is SUCRE, Argentinian chef Fernando Trocca’s first London opening.

Restaurant Review: SUCRE

London is certainly in no shortage of new restaurants, but for SUCRE we’ll make an exception. Boasting a prime location on Great Marlborough Street, the Soho outpost sees renowned Argentina chef Fernando Trocca bring his outstanding, contemporary style of Latin American cuisine to the city for the first time. The original SUCRE in Buenos Aires has featured on the Latin American 50 Best Restaurants – so you know you’re in for a treat.

Located within an imposing 310-year-old building (formerly the London College of Music), SUCRE’s interiors are enough to inspire praise. Designed by Noriyoshi Muramatsu (also responsible for ROKA Dubai, Zuma Boston and Hutong Miami), the Japanese architect has transformed what was once the College’s high-ceilinged concert hall into an opulent 123-cover eatery with warm tones and washed walls. The pièce de résistance? A series of bespoke chandeliers comprised with over a thousand (yes, a thousand) cut glass decanters.

Towards the end of the restaurant, past the bar and main dining area, is where the magic happens: the open kitchen, complete with a fireplace and wood oven. Combining what is described as ‘old world flavours and modern ideas all through the lens of Latin American open-fire cooking craft’, the kitchen plays host to the restaurant’s fiery, flavourful menu.

To start: a choice of three aperitifs and stomach-warming snacks, from an aged cheddar and onion empanada to silky Carlingford oysters with smoked tomato granita. Next up on the menu is a selection of tempting small plates; think grilled radicchio served with anchovies and vinaigrette, veal sweetbreads with criolla, and a creamy burrata with summer peas and mint.

Save room, of course, for the main event, where dishes are divided into three separate categories: charcoal fire, wood oven and stove. There’s something for everyone, whether you’re a seafood lover (monkfish tail with XO sauce and black beans), self-confessed carnivore (lamb shoulder with romaine lettuce and preserved lemon), or vegetarian (the hispi cabbage, burnt onion and blue cheese is a must). If you can squeeze in a dessert (and we highly recommend that you do), the dulce de leche will not disappoint.

But the fun doesn’t stop there. Downstairs, beneath the restaurant, you’ll find Abajo, a brand-new bar concept from illustrious Argentinian bartender and bar owner Tato Giovannoni (winner of the Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award 2020). Like its upstairs counterpart, Abajo offers Londoners an unforgettable experience with its ‘inside out’ bar, devotion to live music, and eccentric cocktail menu inspired by ‘the colour and rebellion’ which pervaded Buenos Aires in the early 80s.

Abajo, ‘Something Orange’

It might be joining an overwhelming rank of new restaurants on the block, but with its refreshing take on Latin American cuisine, friendly staff, and quirky underground bar, we are certain that the excitement surrounding SUCRE won’t dwindle anytime soon.