Harts Group open second Pastorcito food hall site

The team has taken a unit at Mercato Metropolitano in Elephant and Castle, after launching at Arcade Food Theatre at Centre Point last month.
Inspired by the market taquerias of Mexico, Pastorcito is a spin-off from the group’s El Pastor Mexican restaurant group, which runs two eponymous sites near London Bridge and Casa Pastor and Plaza Pastor in Coal Drop’s Yard.
Pastorcito offers a short menu of ‘Super Gringa’ wheat wraps alongside corn tortilla tacos with fillings such as pork shoulder, caramelised pineapple, guacamole, onion and coriander; and beer-battered sea bass with shredded cabbage and pico de gallo.
“We got on board straight away with the values at Mercato Metropolitano and the vibe is always brilliant," says Crispin Somerville, creative director at Harts Group.
Established London restaurant operators are increasingly using market hall-style venues to launch small-scale offshoots of their existing concepts at a lower cost. Caso do Frango, Flat Iron and Chotto Matte have all taken this approach at Arcade Food Theatre, while the team behind Franco Manca will debut a new pasta concept at the upcoming Kerb Seven Dials market this autumn.