He changed the restaurant game with Polpo (distressed interiors, small plates, no ressies) and now almost a year since leaving the group he co-founded, Russell Norman is back with Trattoria Brutto. Taking over the old Hix Oyster and Chophouse in Smithfield, Brutto will be Tuscan-inspired and there’ll be no small plates. The name of the restaurant comes from the Italian saying ‘brutto ma buono’ , which translates to ‘ugly but good’, so it’s going to be hearty and honest.
He’s got Oliver Diver (who started out at Polpo in Soho before working at Wild Honey, Chiltern Firehouse and Allegra) to head up the kitchen and the menu is set to include dishes like panzanella, vitello tonnato, pappardelle with wild boar, lamb chops al cartoccio, beef stew, rosemary flatbread with broad bean puree, and chicken liver toasts. And if you’re an early bird, you’ll be able to get pastries, coffee and ‘breakfast prosecco’ from 8am. This is going to be a big opening so watch this space…
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Put the kettle on!
Opens September 2021
36-37 Greenhill Rents, Cowcross St, London EC1M 6BN
@bru.tto