Hospitality couple Lidia and Simone Crepaldi will tomorrow launch their first venture together – Italian restaurant Hoax with a ‘secret’ basement bar called The Devil You Know (TDYK) in Dalston.
Taking over the original site of Chick ‘n’ Sours on Kingsland Road, Hoax has a semi-open kitchen run by Sardinian-born chef Riccardo Lottero, Simone’s cousin, offering a casual dining menu that combines traditional Italian family recipes with contemporary twists, accompanied by an all-Italian wine list.
TDYK, accessible through a curtain, is Simone’s domain and will have a revolving cocktail list benefitting from his 15 years in the drinks industry – including six years at Shoreditch’s famous Callooh Callay bar, where he still oversees the cocktail programme. For her part, Lidia has worked in hospitality management, and was GM of Pho.
Simone says: “Hoax is born from Italian roots yet with East London energy! This project has been almost 10 years in the making for me and Lidia and it’s a bit of a pinch-me moment to see everything coming together at our new home on Kingsland Road. To be doing it together as partners in business and life is even better.
“The area is seeing a bit of a food and drink renaissance right now and we are so happy to be a part of it. We’re super excited to have Riccardo onboard for the launch menu — he’s a brilliant chef and already part of the family! I guess I’m biased, but his cacio e pepe is the best I’ve tasted, and that’s coming from an Italian.
“Whether it’s a date night, long weekend lunch or late-night cocktails down at The Devil You Know, we’ve got you covered and we cannot wait to open the doors at Hoax and TDYK.”
Meanwhile the site’s former occupant, fried chicken brand Chick ’n’ Sours, has returned to Dalston where it started out in 2015, with a three-month residency at The Crown & Castle nearby on Kingsland Road. Chick ‘n’ Sours closed its restaurants earlier this year to concentrate on delivery kitchens, food halls and residencies, starting with a perch at Big Chill in King’s Cross.
Co-founder David Wolanski said: “Returning to Kingsland Road means a lot – this area is a huge part of the Chick ’n’ Sours story, and it feels right to be cooking here again. We can’t wait to see some familiar old faces again and introducing newbies to the Chick ’n’ Sours experience.”
