Chef Elliott Kaye will next week launch Marrion’s Bar in Hackney, his follow-up to Norman’s Cafe in Archway, which he ran for five years with Richie Hayes until it closed last summer.
The new venue on Morning Lane is Elliott’s first solo project, and he says: “I wanted Marrion’s to be somewhere I’d actually want to go – somewhere you can have a drink, eat something good and feel at home. Nothing too fussy or pretentious.
“I’ve always loved places like The Odeon in New York: warm, convivial and a bit buzzy. Opening in Hackney felt like a no-brainer. Morning Lane has something special about it, and the energy between Well Street and Hackney Central felt like the perfect fit for what we’re trying to do.”
Elliott worked in highly regarded kitchens including Lyle’s, The French House and Leroy before co-founding Norman’s, which won accolades for what Harden’s described as its “utterly brilliant” recreation of traditional greasy-spoon cuisine.
Marrion’s will maintain something of that ethos, with a focus on comfort food including boiled eggs with anchovy soldiers or smoked ham with sage-fried eggs for brunch, along with devilled crab rarebit, moules frites, prawn cocktail and a cheeseburger, plus sandwiches including a tuna melt.
There will be one draught beer, Victoria Malaga lager, a wine list with glasses starting at £5 and bottles at £30, and uncomplicated cocktails including a house Martini that changes every month.
