The Hispanophile Hart Brothers have closed their Borough Market grill restaurant Parrillan and will replace it with a Spanish-style neighbourhood bar or ‘cerveceria’ called Los Primos, where guests can enjoy a beer and a bite to eat for less than a tenner.
Ice-cold Estrella Galicia will be sold by the caña – a small glass holding about a third of a pint – at £2.50, alongside a selection of bocadillos (sandwiches), albondigas (meatballs), tortillas and calamares served in a paper cone.
Sam Hart, CEO of the family-owned company, said: “The idea is that it is a fun, accessible place where you can pop in for a quick caña and a snack, and end up still there three hours later having had a delicious dinner or lunch – and several cañas and a gin and tonic and a glass of wine...”
The Harts believe they have identified a gap in the market at Borough, which has developed in recent years from a collection of stalls into a Mecca for diners and food tourists.
Sam said: “Looking around Borough, there’s probably been about 25 really good new restaurant opening over the last three or so years, but they’r all £60, £70 a head. We think there’s a gap for somewhere providing real quality, an authentic experience and a really great vibe, but not at £60 a head.“
Sam could have been talking about Parrillan, which is listed at £124 a head in the current Harden’s guide, making it easily the most expensive restaurant in the Hart Bros’ group, which also includes the classic Quo Vadis, five branches of Barrafina, the tapas brand that made their name, and four El Pastor taquerias. Harden’s customer feedback on Parrillan has dried up in recent times – a sign of declining interest; the original branch, in Coal Drops Yard, King’s Cross, has also closed, but the company says this it will be back in March next year after its annual winter break.
Sam added: “Restaurant pricing, through necessity, has increased so much over the last few years, and everyone in town is constantly getting bill shock. Premium restaurants have their place and they’re fantastic – I love spending my own money in more expensive restaurants – but there’s also a day where you really want to go out, hang out with friends, family, colleagues, but not leave feeling like the wallet has a serious dent in it.”
Los Primos – meaning ‘the cousins’, a reference to the Harts’ group ownership – opens in November on the brilliantly named Dirty Lane, part of the Borough Yards development adjacent to the main market. It will be an all-day operation for walk-ins only, serving coffee and snacks from 11am.
