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THE HICCE HART IS OPEN

21/11/2022

Chef Pip Lacey and business partner Gordy McIntyre have opened the hicce hart. The new space is a neighbourhood pub on Penton Street in Islington, North London offering quality, British-style cooking alongside unique local brews and adventurous hand-pulled wines. Bringing Head Chef Charlotte Harris and General Manager Agustina Basilico with them, Lacey and McIntyre’s passion to mentor young talent is visible.

The Food

Designed in partnership with Lacey, Harris has created a menu of crowd-pleasing pub classics, as well as new delights; offering a selection of small plate-style bar snacks for those perching at the bar, alongside a full dining menu for those settling in. Sunday roasts will be a staple of the weekend menu with a select menu of starters.

The menu includes:

Bar Snacks (all day)

Salmon in olive oil, sourdough 8

Mini saucisson, pickles 7

Small Dishes

Cheese gougères, date jam 7.5

Beef spareribs 9

Sprout tops, anchovy, macadamia 9

Pork croquettes, brown sauce 10

Bigger Dishes

Potato ricotta ravioli, watercress 15

Large fish, Jerusalem artichokes, mussels, green sauce 21

Pork chop, remoulade, mustard leaf, hazelnuts 26 (for two)

Roasts (Sunday only)

Stuffed pork loin, apple

Free range chicken

Wild mushroom and chestnut wellington

(served with potatoes (is it?), a variety of seasonal veg and Yorkshire puddings)

Pudding

Chocolate nemesis, coffee cream, malt crisp 8

Sponge cake, crème fraîche, cointreau, clementines 7

Cheese board 15


the hicce hart is also offering ‘the harty’ menu for lunch guests including a main and glass of wine, pint or soft drink for a modest £12. Example dishes include a Pork sandwich, Shrimp chowder, Beef ribs or Pappardelle with mushrooms.


The Drinks

Drinks play a vital role at the hicce hart. Working solely with independent North London brewer, The Goodness Brewery, serving a limited range of craft beers at a notable price of £5.75, the options are plenty. With a collaborative relationship stretching back two decades the decision to work closely together on the beer offering at the new pub was a no brainer, leading the list with the exclusive hicce IPA. This co-brew is a session beer embodying cryo hop flavours of tangerine and citrus, and is soft on the palate. The team are also serving a Kolsch style quaffable lager, a full-bodied hoppy and creamy stout, comparable to Guinness, and a low percentage (2.2%) table beer, ideal for more mindful drinkers.

Alongside the beer offering, the wine list has been carefully curated to create a familiar yet unusual offering encouraging guests to be adventurous and engage their wine curiosity, whilst not being overwhelmed. A mixture of sustainable, biodynamic and low intervention wines made by small producers, along with classics that reflect the best combination of place, tradition and history, to be enjoyed by the glass, carafe, or bottle. Alongside this, McIntryre and Basilico have created The Black Book Wine List which celebrates all that is unique and interesting about small batch organic wine, with choices guided by categories that excite the team.


A pair of wines are also on tap offering not only a more sustainable delivery method with the reduced wastage, but also better value for money for customers and producers alike. First up is a Guy Allion Sauvignon de Touraine from Loire, France and a Les Galets Rouge from Vignerons d’Estezargues.


The choice of spirits served is based on a similar principle, working with independent small suppliers including Sapling Spirits and Two Drifters Rum who produce the best quality spirits in both flavour and creation. The concise cocktail list includes the signature hart negroni, which will evolve throughout the year based on the season; the Fandango, a twist on the posh shandy, and a Down hicce way, which is a special take on the classic Manhattan. Weekends are led by the Bloody Mary with the choice of three; classic, smoky or kimchi. Tomatoes are roasted in house using a secret hot sauce recipe to create a totally unique taste.

The Interiors

In keeping with the characteristics of a quintessential English pub, the hicce hart honours the history and tradition of the venue, ensuring it is a welcoming, comfortable and honest place to visit. The pub is split across two levels with the 52-cover open plan kitchen and bar area on the ground floor available for walk-ins, whilst the 32-cover dining room upstairs is held for reservations. With its expansive windows and open wood fire the space will also become the hub for weekly Sunday night wine clubs, and supper clubs in due course.


For additional information, please contact Alicia on alicia@gemmabellandcompany.com.

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