It’s 2am in the morning. Patron owners Jean-Francois and Tanzi are at the brocante of Montreuil-sur-Mer in the north of France. Torches at the ready, handwritten lists in hand, it has become a yearly ritual for the French and English couple.
“This has to be one our favourite things to do by far,” says Tanzi. “If the hire van is full of French treasures for the restaurant and a glass of rosé is in our hands by midday, we’re celebrating.”
And happily for locals, their latest stash of treasures have made it into the brand new Patron Next Door, which takes over the neighbouring e-cigarette shop on Fortess Road. It’s an exciting new extension with three new spaces designed and refurbished by the founders themselves.
The dining room unveils period features from the original butcher’s shop, glimpsed through the unearthed wall tiles and meat hangers (take a glance up as you enter to spot them).
It’s a light, airy, contemporary space to complement the darker original restaurant next door. Beautifully designed wood, leather and velvet booths can be booked for larger groups of up to 12 people as well as a private hire option of the entire space. But of course it’s also open nightly for dinner, too.
Connecting the two rooms is a small, elegant cocktail bar, called the Spirit Lounge: as you enter, prepare to be entranced by “our ceiling to heaven”, as the couple call it, lovingly hand painted by local artist Steve Richards.
Spot the intricate carved wooden bar (above)? It has been reclaimed from formerly fashionable noughties Camden Market destination Gilgamesh (which some of us – yikes – remember frequenting with alarming regularity in around 2006).
Meanwhile, a dimly lit oversized holophane globe from the streets of Paris only enhances the feeling of a 1920s speakeasy, while a salvaged piano sits centre stage waiting to be softly played by willing Patrons.
Drinks-wise? Expect unusual and thoughtfully sourced spirits of the like we haven’t seen anywhere else in Kentish Town, as well as cocktails and a dedicated martini menu using only the finest ingredients.
And if it’s a warm autumnal evening, wander into the exterior courtyard, accessed through reclaimed crittal doors: lush, exotic and private, there’s a leafy mass of japonica, ferns, palms and a planter of rosemary, lavender, thyme and sage.
“We have a passion for producing timeless spaces. Places where time stands still,” Tanzi says. “We love to create special moments for our guests, and we realised that they just don’t want to go after their meal has finished. We wanted to be able to invite guests to continue their experience – and so Patron Next Door was born. They won’t just leave with a full belly and big smile on their faces, they’ll leave with a special memory, captured and imprinted for a lifetime.”
When the pair begin any restoration and refurbishment project together they always ask each other the same question. “What environment would we want to be in, and what food and drink would we want to eat and sip? It is important for us to express our personalities, ourselves and our love for France within our restaurants and bars,” says says Jean-Francois. “We’ve always felt a strong connection to this area of London. Perhaps it’s the amount of French living here: a true slice of Paris in our Kentish Town neighbourhood.”
Patron Restaurant has been a staple of “Kentishville” since 2015 – “the area could be compared to the 11th arrondissement of Paris for its eclectic mix of bars and restaurants.”, says Jean-Francois – serving classic French food cooked over wood fire, with fine wine and creative cocktails while bringing a wave of electric energy to Fortess Road.
Signature dishes include crispy duck confit, hand-cut steak tartare, garlic snails and modern twists such as deep fried dauphinoise with sriracha mayonnaise or oysters topped with champagne eggs. And a tip: don’t skip the guilt-free chocolate mousse.
Finally, this season’s big foodie news? Sunday roasts, no less. Think hearty, slow-roasted meats – duck confit with red-wine reduction, French corn-fed poussin marinated for 24 hours, Cote De Boeuf – so incredibly tender they melt in the mouth. These are served with trays filled with delicious trimmings including duck fat roast potatoes, carrots vichy, roasted parsnips, creamed leeks & peas. Plus traditional, homemade Yorkshire puddings accompanied with lashings of rich ox cheek gravy (vegetarian options available, too).
In short, yet another reason to visit Patron’s enchanting new dining room and cocktail bar.
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