JAMES COCHRAN AND THE 12:51 TEAM TO OPEN VALDERRAMA’S IN ISLINGTON

James Cochran, the chef behind Islington restaurant 12:51 and ex-Great British Menu champ, is turning his fried chicken lockdown biz Around The Cluck into a perm sports bar spot. Valderrama’s, named after the Colombian footballer Carlos Valderrama, will take inspo from the player’s quirky style with retro interiors featuring lots of 90’s nostalgia, specially commissioned murals on the walls (including one made from a vintage kit) and pictures by local artists. The new opening will seat 48 covers and has an outdoor terrace, alongside big screens and projectors to watch sporting events like the Euros, F1, Wimbledon and more.

When it comes to the menu, we can expect James’ fried chicken faves including: The Original featuring whipped blue cheese mousse, bacon scratchings and Sauce Shop x 12:51 scotch bonnet jam; Spice Up Your Life made with mango chutney, pickled cucumber, curry sauce, Bombay mix and poppadoms; and The Veganator topped with gochujang, Asian slaw and peanuts. Other menu highlights include buttermilk chicken thighs with chip-shop curry sauce and sides of hash browns topped with jerk spice, gravy and crispy shallots. Drinks-wise, Beavertown is gonna be on the taps and there’s a quirky cocktail list in the works too. We know where we’ll be watching the World Cup later this year.

Opens Thurs 7th July 2022
163 Upper St, Islington, London N11US 
valderramas.co.uk

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