DUO BEHIND TRULLO OPENS NEW RESTAURANT IN BOROUGH MARKET
Tim Siadatan and Jordan Frieda, the duo behind the renowned Italian inspired restaurant Trullo in Highbury, are now to open their second restaurant Padella next month in the ‘Capital’s Kitchen’ Borough Market, in London Bridge.
It’s been five years since the opening of Trullo in Highbury, what inspired you to open Padella?
In the five years we’ve been running Trullo, we’ve had our own food laboratory to try and test hundreds of different types of cooking methods and dishes, and listen to what our customers have said. While there are loads of things they’ve liked (and some they didn’t!), the pasta is what people really go barmy about. Travelling in Italy, we’ve also been blown away by some styles of pasta that we haven’t seen in London, and Padella is our opportunity to bring all our pasta knowledge and passion into one place.
What’s the vision behind Padella?
Padella is all about our love for pasta, and making it really affordable and accessible. There are so many amazing one-menu item restaurants in London now, that are quick, cheap and really, really good, and we wanted to put Pasta centre stage in the London food scene, because when it’s done properly we think it’s hard to beat. The wine is also all in barrel, making it more affordable and giving it that authentic Italian trattoria feel.
How did you both come to work together?
We both met just as the big change in the London restaurant scene was taking shape in the early 2000s, away from formal French dining, to a new kind of produce driven, seasonal and more old-fashioned approach. We were both passionate about St John and the River Cafe, and from the moment we met, we knew we had to try and do something together.
What made you want to move to the London Bridge area?
London Bridge is amazing – the energy, history and architecture of the area are absolutely awesome – it’s like no other part of London.
How do you hope opening in London Bridge will impact on the business?
Opening in London Bridge is an opportunity to test ourselves in a really competitive market place and with a much more diverse mix of customers than we have in Highbury. Opening a pasta bar has been a dream of ours for over ten years, and there isn’t a better place to see if this is as special an idea as we think. The customers around London Bridge and Borough Market really know what good food is, and don’t put up with anything that isn’t exceptional quality and good value for money. We’re really excited to hear what everyone thinks of our pasta.
What are your current impressions of the London Bridge neighbourhood?
We love the mix of old and new, and how brilliantly the development of the area gives you a sense of what London is all about. Seeing the Shard rise up from behind Southwark Cathedral at night, as you walk through Borough Market after a few jars, is one of London’s iconic images.
What has been your best discovery in the London Bridge neighbourhood so far?
We recently tried Richard Hawards Oysters on the Stoney Street side of the market, and shared a dozen oysters and a couple of glasses of Crement - I got a lecture for asking for rose prosecco, and was told that there was no such thing! He was right, though, and the oysters were the best we’ve ever had – incredible! With a turn of black pepper and a squeeze of lemon, just as they told us to, it was the best thing I’ve eaten in London in a long time, just standing up at a counter top and eating off paper plates with plastic champagne flutes. Awesome!
