My London: Nuno Mendes

The head chef of Chiltern Firehouse trains at Momentum gym, gets his morning coffee at Shed and loves The Laughing Heart’s cocktails
Frankie McCoy5 June 2018

Home is…

De Beauvoir with my partner and my three kids: Orla, seven, and Noah and Finn, who are five. They’re twins so double trouble and my daughter fuels the trouble because she winds them up. It’s a pretty lively household.

Last play you saw?

I saw Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the ballet, at the Royal Opera House with the kids. What I find really amazing about London is the amount of cultural stuff we can be exposed to. To take our kids to the ballet at the ages of five and seven is pretty incredible.

Bus, Tube or taxi?

The Overground gets me from home in Haggerston to my new restaurant, Mãos in Shoreditch, and back. But when I go to Chiltern Firehouse I take an Uber. It allows me to work — on the Tube I can’t do anything.

Where do you work out?

I do personal training at Momentum gym in Hackney. I’m not trying to be a bodybuilder, but I want to be able to have energy and be with my kids and not be completely knackered on my days off.

Favourite shops?

The De Beauvoir Deli Co for all sorts. Shed in Haggerston for wine — I also pick up my coffee there every morning. I love Longdan on Kingsland Road, which is a pretty old-school Asian grocery shop. You can get anything from dim sum wrappers to green chilli sauces.

Best meal you’ve had?

My go-to place is Lyle’s. Last time I had monkfish liver with blood orange, which was incredible, and a coffee dessert like tiramisu but 1,000 times better. It blew me away.

Biggest extravagance?

I love nice wine. My friend Craig Hawkins’ company called El Bandito does amazing South African stuff.

Where would you recommend for a first date?

I’m not dating any more but my partner and I both like going to Pidgin in Hackney. It strikes just that right balance between being a neighbourhood restaurant and creative.

If you could buy any building in London, which would it be?

Wapping Power Station. It was home to the old Wapping Project, the most amazing restaurant and gallery space owned by the late Jules [Wright, theatre entrepreneur]. I’d love to pick up that place and keep her legacy going.

Favourite pub?

The Royal Oak on Columbia Road. I moved to London 15 years ago and have been going there ever since. The people that I met there are still very good friends now. It’s very special.

Which qualities are intrinsic to being a Londoner?

A level of sarcasm and an understanding of the weather.

Where do you let your hair down?

The Laughing Heart in Hackney. You can rock up at 12.30am and you know you’ve got two hours there. The wine and cocktails are brilliant — it’s civilised but hardcore.

Who is your hero?

I recently ran into Pierre Koffmann at the Fortnum & Mason Awards. I have so much respect for him, he’s such an amazing chef.

What do you collect?

I do have hundreds of cookbooks — and a lot of Nigel Cabourn jackets.

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