Doing their bit to boost the flourishing East London restaurant scene, chefs – and St John Smithfield alumni – Tom Harris and Jon Rotheram have recently taken up residence in venerated East End watering hole, the Marksman. Downstairs, the duo have spruced up the pub’s timeless mahogany bar and handsome wood panelling with the addition of plush leather banquettes and antique lighting fixtures, but it’s the newly opened formal dining room upstairs, that is the real star of the show.
Determined to create a destination in its own right, Harris and Rotherham called upon old acquaintance, designer and artist, Martino Gamper, who as a supper club veteran (he used to run his own), drew upon his personal experiences to dress the space with the diner’s best interests in mind. As a result, an upholstered panelled ceiling - using cloth created by a local weaver – engineers acoustics, while adjustable lighting can be altered depending on the room’s setup, which currently furnished with Gamper’s bespoke tables and customised Ercol chairs, will evolve over time. Tuck into a modern British menu that features the likes of black leg chicken with capers and anchovy or brown butter and honey tart. All washed down with the Marksman’s formidable range of ales and old-world wines, of course.
