Legare is a Bermondsey neighbourhood restaurant, neighbours with the iconic sights of Tower Bridge and London Bridge. It offers a regularly changing menu of seasonal antipasti and pasta made daily by hand, as well as a wine list featuring natural bottles from small Italian producers. Founder Jay Patel draws inspiration from Italy and other parts of the Mediterranean in their cuisine as well as classic Italian twists.
We sat down with Jay Patel to get the lowdown on Legare.
Legare Founder Jay Patel
How did it all start? What was the original inspiration behind Legare?
Big question – but in short Legare started from a love of simple product-driven food. When my wife and I were at university, she studied Spanish and English and her final year was based in Seville. I used to go out to see her often, and I fell in love with Spanish food; then we travelled around Italy, and fell in love with Italian food and culture deeply. Legare in many ways is an expression of that story, and those flavours!
Tell us about your menu and what makes it special?
Our menu isn’t really authentically Italian, as much as it is clearly broadly Italian led. We draw influence from many parts of the Mediterranean – Italy, Spain, Portugal and even French (Provençal) ideas feature alongside great UK produce. If we feel like using sobrasada instead of ‘Nduja, we will, and we won’t apologise for it. We want the dishes to be bright, expressive and full of flavour. We’re not tied down to authenticity, and we’ve never claimed to be, given that both Matt (Beardmore – Head Chef) and I are British.
Tell us about the natural wines you have in the restaurant? Are all the wines natural?
Not all of our wines are natural. We work with organic, natural and biodynamic, but we want our wines to be more conventional and classic in style. There’s a time and place for a funky, natural wine… but Legare isn’t that place. Our food pairs well with cleaner more conventional-style wines. The key focus is to work with smaller producers and winemakers that are principled in their approach to farming and sustainability.
You work closely with your head chef Matt (Beardmore) on the menu? How involved are you in menu development and new dishes?
Before we opened, Matt and I developed everything together. As the business has evolved, I’ve stepped back and now leave it entirely to Matt and the kitchen team. I’ll often have input with ideas and what’s coming into season, but the kitchen is so brilliant, I turn up to work and constantly try new dishes they’ve put together. As an avid cook, I love thinking of new dishes, but at Legare, I find it way more enjoyable being surprised by what the kitchen come up with and Matt is a brilliant chef. Our food has evolved so much since we opened. It’s an entirely different restaurant.
How important is sustainability when it comes to the provenance of ingredients?
Very, but we’re not anywhere near where we would like to be. Unfortunately, the very nature of restaurants means they aren’t the most sustainable businesses, but we try to work with UK fish and meat only, and where we can, fruit and veg too. Unfortunately, if the menu calls for speciality Italian, Spanish, or Portuguese produce, we do order it in – but again, we work with farmers who work ethically and on a smaller scale to ensure quality and longevity.
Neighbourhood restaurants are so important to local areas. What do you do that is different and keeps your locals coming back?
It sounds cliche but a massive part of our ethos is rooted in not taking ourselves too seriously. It’s just a bit of dinner. We treat locals like friends, and we try to take things back to old hospitality principles. Great food, wine and service. That’s it. Our customers trust us and value what we bring to the community. We’re an asset to the area!
What is the secret to great pasta?
Simple. Great ingredients. I don’t always believe fresh pasta is best, which can be controversial. Exceptional dried pasta is what I eat at home. It’s such a simple product, and you have to buy great quality stuff. Other than that, whatever you put into the sauce has to be good. There are many dishes in the world where the dish itself may be greater than the sum of its parts, but pasta isn’t one of those dishes. I think it relies on fantastic produce. If you have cheap pasta, tasteless tomatoes and poor cheese, your final dish just won’t be that great.
If you could award a Michelin star right now, who would it be to and why?
Medlar (on the King’s Road) – not sure why it lost it. It’s as polished as a restaurant gets. The crab ravioli is one of the best dishes in London. The wine list is phenomenal, and the service is faultless. I don’t really understand why they lost it… it’s crazy in my opinion.
Top three favourite restaurants in London?
Hunan
40 Maltby Street
Medlar
Honourable mention outside London – Wheelers Oyster Barin in Whitstable!
What is next for Legare?
We’ve got lots planned over the next few years. If everything works out, we’ll be looking to open a number of exciting new restaurants across London, following the same principles which have made Legare a favourite! But at the same time, focus remains on Legare, Matt and the kitchen and FOH team there, to ensure our quality of service and food stays at its current level, which helped us gain and retain (for the last two years) the Bib Gourmand award from the Michelin Guide.
To Discover More Visit legarelondon.com
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All imagery courtesy of Charlie McKay.