Mark Sargeant | Morden and Lea

Mark Sargeant is to open a modern brasserie, Morden & Lea, in the heart of Soho this June – a 62-cover space which will serve a varied menu of individual savouries, charcuterie and snacks, from 11am until late, Monday to Saturday, with a brunch menu available on Sunday. Following his recent appointment as chef director at The Strand Dining Rooms on Trafalgar Square, Morden & Lea will be Mark’s next project and the first time he has worked on the launch of a new restaurant in Central London. Mark commented ahead of the launch: “I am extremely excited to be working with the team at Morden & Lea on the launch my first official central London restaurant. Having been involved with the project from the outset, it’s great to see it finally coming together and I can’t wait to open the doors to the public in June. “Soho is the perfect location and hope that the dual-offering of a brasserie-style menu served in the upstairs restaurant and a more-relaxed casual sharing menu served downstairs, will appeal to both London foodies and visitors to the capital alike.”

His career spans more than 20 years, including 13 years working alongside Gordon Ramsay, seven of these as head chef at Claridge’s, as well as two successful solo restaurants Rocksalt and The Smokehouse in his home county of Kent. The food and vibe at Morden & Lea will draw inspiration from Mark’s wealth of restaurant experience, as well as the diversity in cultures that can be found

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in Soho and its surrounding areas. The restaurant’s location also inspired its name, which is a nod to historic London cartographers Robert Morden and Philip Lea, who were the first to map out the area now known as Soho, back in the 17th century. Split across two floors, with downstairs offering a casual and relaxed, no reservations atmosphere, Mark will use the best of British ingredients to create dishes such as ‘mackerel with red onion, capers and parsley’, ‘salt-baked celeriac with parsley pesto’ and the sure fire favourite, ‘seafood sausage roll’. There will also be a selection of open tartines on offer, each served on a choice of fresh bread with creative toppings such as ‘broad bean, pea and pecorino’, ‘garlic purée, roast onion and lardo‘ and the classic ‘pissaladiere’. Upstairs will have a more refined air, with an affordable fixed priced brasserie-style dinner menu (£35 per person), and set lunch menu, created by Sargeant and Morden & Lea head chef Daniel Mertl (Chez Bruce, The Savoy, Le Gavroche). The dinner menu will deliver stylish contemporary dishes using the best of local and Great British produce. Mains will include ‘roast Goosnargh duck with garlic potatoes, roast peach, broccoli, almonds and chilli’, ‘pan-fried skate wing, cauliflower, bacon and caper polonaise and hispi cabbage’ and ‘grilled Cornish mullet with spelt, mussels and bok choy’.

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