Brothers Maxime, Yannis and Malik Alary are delighted to announce the launch of their second restaurant, Blanchette East, opening on Brick Lane in August 2016.
Lovingly named after the brothers’ mother, the new restaurant will celebrate everything that guests have come to love about the Soho bistro but with a few distinct variations. The modern French menu will incorporate more Southern French and North African influences with spices from the regions, while the décor will be inspired by the Parisian Belle Époque era combined with the distinctive urban feel of East London.
The menu will be overseen and executed by Tam Storrar, who will now take on the role of executive chef across both restaurants but residing predominantly at the East London site. True to Blanchette’s style, the menu will be made up of sharing plates and delicious snacks such as the signature Crispy frog’s legs, Cheese beignets and Croque monsieur, while North African flavours and spices will be explored in dishes such as Lamb tagine with apricots, almonds and rose harissa, Roast poussin with tarragon and pommes Sarladaise and Wild strawberry and black pepper vacherin. A concise wine list will feature French, Spanish and Italian wines, while the cocktail menu will focus on classic drinks with Blanchette’s unique twists.
Merging the Parisian Belle Époque era with East London edge, the interior design will be overseen by independent, international and award-winning design agency, Blacksheep, which specialises in the hospitality industry. Decorated throughout with antiques sourced from Parisian vintage markets by the Alary brothers, the 70-cover restaurant will be divided into three main parts. A dining counter made from beautiful pale pink marble welcomes diners into the restaurant and the bright dining room beyond will feature rustic wooden tables and distressed walls and ceilings, offset by an array of fresh plants. In addition, the private dining room named ‘The Cote d’Azur’ will feature a large mural replica of a Picasso sketch painted by artist Aldo Gigli, whom the Alary brothers worked with previously to create the stunning Parisian Art Nouveau mural painting in Blanchette Soho’s renowned Jungle Room.
As with Soho, the music will be curated specially by Blanchette’s very own Malik Alary, who is also founder of sound design company La Musique du Faubourg. Malik’s eclectic signature style blends elements of nu-disco, funk soul classics and new wave – a neat parallel to the diversity of East London. His modern approach to music will be the perfect accompaniment to chef Tam’s imaginative take on classic French dining.
Bringing a slice of Soho to Brick Lane, Blanchette will be a welcome addition to East London’s ever thriving food, arts and music scene.
Address: 204 Brick Lane, E1 6SA
