Pizza, vermouth and game ragu: Neil Rankin reveals details for Temper Covent Garden
Launching in Covent Garden’s Mercer Street on 14 May, the two-storey restaurant will have a central counter kitchen with a wood-fired oven as its theatrical focus.
The pizza menu will comprise two styles: ‘Detroit’ deep dish style, and ‘bar style’ thin crust.
The rectangular “focaccia-esque” Detroit style pizzas will be topped with the likes of goat ragu, goat salami and burnt pepper pesto; and soft-shell crab with bisque, onions, green chilli and brown crab sour cream.
Thin crusted ‘bar style’ pizzas will include the ‘wagyu salami’, topped with beef salami and a provolone cheese crust on a mozzarella and tomato base; and the ‘white clam’, which also has a cheese crust but is topped with mozzarella, clams, red onion and samphire.
Ragus made with game, goat and pork will be served with fresh bread or gnocchi. A selection of pasta dishes will include beef fat and pesto tortellini alongside a variety of vegetarian and vegan options.
The bar will serve a diverse menu of vermouth, ranging from dry to sweet, served either straight, or in cocktails, alongside Spritzer, Americano and Negroni menus. Aperol Spritz will also be on tap.
Interior design has been taken care of by Gundry and Ducker, the company responsible for the design of Temper’s Soho restaurant. A central zinc counter, featuring a combined grill, bar and pizza island, will face a blue tiled pavilion with booth seating. The basement will feature seating and a steel-framed central group dining area.
The new Temper restaurant will be open for breakfast, which is unique to the third site. Guests can expect freshly baked croissants, as well as home-cured bacon and sausages.
Temper’s ongoing mission to eliminate factory farming from its production line, as most of the best cuts for curing are also the hardest to cook, according to the PR information about the launch.
Rankin operates two Temper restaurants. The Soho site serves tacos and barbecue, and the City location majors in barbecued meats and poultry alongside curry, tandoor roasted meats and home-made roti breads.
