A spin-off of Exmouth Market’s “truly scrumptious” Moorish tapas bar Morito (itself a little sister to long-time Harden’s survey favourite Moro) arrives in Hackney Road in Hoxton on 11 May. The new site, just a stone’s throw from Columbia Road Flower Market, sees Moro head chef Marianna Love head-up the kitchen alongside founder Samuel Clark.
It is the third London restaurant from husband and wife team Sam & Sam Clark, who of course founded Clerkenwell’s Moro in 1997 and later opened Morito next door in 2010. Although the new Morito nods to its heritage, it is ‘a new experience’ the pair say.
The new tapas bar opens its doors today (11 May) for breakfast, serving made-to-order Moroccan breads as part of the menu, followed by lunch and dinner of smaller dishes and larger family-style plates for the whole table. Samantha and Marianna have sourced produce from southern Spain, Morocco, Turkey and Crete to feature in the new menus.
On the menu: Asparagus with clams; aubergine manti with yoghurt and pistachios and homemade halloumi with pickled za’atar or kid mechoui with goat’s curd, preserved lemon and harissa and charcoal grilled fish with new season’s garlic, guindilla chillies and sherry vinegar to share.
The wine list is curated by consultant sommelier Emily Harman, former sommelier at The River Café, and Wine Buyer for the Zetter Group. It is a concise offering of wines from the Mediterranean – primarily mainland Spain and Portugal – with a couple of lesser-known wines from the Canary Islands. There’s a selection of sparkling, white, red, pink, and orange wines, with many available by the glass. For those looking to venture past these, there is also a list of Sherry and Vermouth.
Morito Hackney Road features a horseshoe shaped marble-topped bar and open kitchen. There are signature Morito textures and colours, much loved in Exmouth Market, with new additions of handmade pottery (Samantha) and an array of plants (Samuel) linking the restaurant to nearby Columbia Road Flower Market.
