Londrino: a feast for the senses, but bring on the festivity
Around two years after making a name for himself cooking at Climpson’s Arch in London Fields, Portuguese chef Leandro Carreira launched his own restaurant late last year.
A shiny new purpose-built site in London Bridge that comprises a wine bar as well as a restaurant, it’s a bold first move – but not one Leo seems at all out of his comfort zone with.
A rundown of dishes steers away from starters and mains, instead gradually ascending in size.
Monkfish comes with a sweet and sour assembly of red peppers; vibrant, vitality-filled and reminiscent of escabeche. White asparagus tips with toffee mayo are deceptively simple, but incredibly addictive. Stringy enoki mushrooms in an uber-umami shiitake juice stock, with a refreshing aside of fresh and citrusy fermented squash is delicious if stringy; perhaps more interesting than thoroughly enjoyable. Raw beef comes tartare style, imbued with a robust crab stock and topped with thin shavings of Jerusalem artichoke: a medley of rich and earthy flavours, yet surprisingly delicate with it.
A dessert of grilled soaked brioche with hazelnuts and sour caramel – familiar from the Arch – is a comforting but clever and culinarily complex London classic, while a selection of ice creams are worth fully exploring.
There’s a great wine list to match, showcasing small producers from across Portugal and Spain with plenty of organic, natural and biodynamic options among them which blend well with the hearthy, complex flavours at play.
The only downside of the procession of intricate dishes is that while you get to explore a feast of flavours, you miss out on the sense of actually feasting.
Back in his days at the Arch, Leo’s food was still clever and complex, but flavours were gutsier, portions more substantial and you were encouraged to get your hands messy with whole prawns in garlic butter.
Dishes came more or less as you ordered them, tapas-style, whereas here they are drip-fed one at a time as if each is meant to be studied rather than gobbled.
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It’s true that they are worthy of this closer attention, but a shame that the intoxicating gregariousness of Leo’s cooking is lost along the way.
The solution? Head to Londrino on a Sunday when Leo cooks up a whole suckling pig, served in great slabs with traditional sides of crisps, a salad of orange slices and offal rice. Bring together the crackling, juicy meat and a rich Portuguese red – with a few smaller dishes on the side – and you’ll be able to experience the finery with a bit more festivity.
