The dust had barely settled following the closure of well regarded Papi in London Fields when a new restaurant called Auguste opened in the premises this week – and the Papi team revealed their plan to launch a ‘public house dining room’ called The Golden Tooth near Newington Green later this month.
Auguste takes its name from the classic 19th-century clown figure (hence the make-up in the photograph), and its culinary inspiration from the Abruzzo region on the opposite side of Italy from Rome.
Chef Mike Bagnall – working here in concert with manager Dylan Walters – has lived in Abruzzo and has created a menu featuring flame-grilled skewers (lamb, cull yaw, wagyu, liver and wild boar), as well as more familiarly Italian dishes. They are served alongside low intervention wines from Abruzzo and other parts of Italy.
Meanwhile chef Matthew Scott and wine merchant Charlie Carr (of Wingnut Wines) are converting a boozer on Green Lanes formerly known as The Leconfield into a neighbourhood pub and restaurant, with two separate menus.
Matthew made his name with the ‘Hot for You’ delivery service under lockdown, and won high ratings in the 2026 Harden’s guide for his “inventive cooking using high-quality ingredients” at Papi. He’ll be serving oysters, currywurst and mussels toast with house lardo in the new pub bar, and grilled meats, chops and pies in the restaurant.
Charlie low-intervention list at Papi included possibly the “top selection of orange wines” in the area.
The duo say: “We want to honour the pub itself — a real public house steeped in history — dog-friendly, Guinness on tap, the best roasts and most importantly, a place for the community. It will be the same Papi spirit, just sharper, more considered, and with the full autonomy it deserves.”
