Husband and wife open new Dalston Italian

Husband and wife duo Simone and Lidia Crepaldi have opened Hoax, a new modern Italian restaurant and cocktail bar in Dalston.

The new restaurant opened at 390 Kingsland Road on Saturday 13 December, taking over the old Chick 'n' Sours site.

It is spread across two floors, with the main casual dining restaurant space on the ground floor. Downstairs, through a velvet curtain, is late-night cocktail bar called The Devil You Know.

The food menu features a selection of traditional Italian family recipes, changing seasonally and with few contemporary twists, including a short list of fresh pasta dishes, mains and a house signature tiramisu.

“Hoax is born from Italian roots, yet with East London energy," says Simone, who is also operations director at cocktail bar Callooh Callay. "This project has been almost 10 years’ in the making for me and Lidia, and it’s a bit of a pinch me moment to see everything coming together at our new home on Kingsland Road, and to be doing it together as partners in business and life is even better. The area is seeing a bit of a food and drink renaissance right now, and we are so happy to be a part of it."

Yes chef!

The menu is curated by Italian-born chef Riccardo Lottero, who has worked at Michelin-starred Massimo Camia Ristorante in Italy, as well as at Soho House and the Curtain Hotel in Shoreditch.

Guests can expect classic Italian dishes such as beef tartare w Robiola cheese, mustard & hazelnut; re-invented Caprese; slow-cooked braised beef cheek, w potato purée, hazelnuts & sweet Italian peppers; roast chicken with black truffle-sauce, parsnip & pan brioche; and Cacio e Pepe.

"We are super excited to have Riccardo onboard for the launch menu," adds Simone. "He’s a brilliant chef, and already part of the family. I guess I’m biased, but his Cacio e Pepe is the best I’ve tasted, and that’s coming from an Italian. Whether it’s a date night or dinner with friends, through to late night cocktails down at The Devil You Know, we got you covered."

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