Eat Out London!Augustus Harris
Augustus Harris is a Venetian Bacaro on Catherine Street in Covent Garden.
Augustus Harris - a Venetian Bacaro in Covent Garden
Reviews and related sites
Augustus Harris - DrinkUp.London
Augustus Harris, Covent Garden - London : Social Concierge
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Augustus Harris offers cichetti, crostini and spritz in a Ventian bàcari replanted in Covent Garden.
In a sympathetically lit, subterranean cavern, wavy-haired blondes in Ralph Lauren pullovers bray good-humouredly with gilded girls of an Italian hue.
Charles McDermott fled a job in finance some years ago to move to New York and learn to cook, returning to start up Augustus Harris, inspired by a university year abroad in Italy.
Estate agents failed to return his calls when he sought a letting; others doubted that England’s small-minded inhabitants would respond well to foreign words etched onto the windows.
Pepper vodka and basil (the ‘Basilico’), gin and rosemary (‘Rosmarino’), Campari and Aperol spritzes are all reasonably priced by London standards at £8 each.
Augustus Harris | Covent Garden London
food
Augustus Harris was the legendary Covent Garden theatre impresario best known for having popularised the Christmas pantomime.
Harris would almost certainly have approved of the establishment that now bears his name.
Based upon the bacari of Venice, where Venetians gather to relax, drink wine and share simple but staggeringly delicious snacks, this intimate, atmospheric bar complements its excellent Italian wine list with a selection of crostini, plates of cheese and salumi and a menu of seasonal small dishes.
There are sandwiches at lunchtime and, as demanded of any Italian establishment worth its salt, some high quality espresso.
Augustus Harris bacaro to open on Catherine Street in Covent Garden
food
The foodie thoroughfare of Covent Garden's Catherine Street looks set to get another boost as a new restaurant, Augustus Harris, prepares to open up just down the road from Mishkins and Opera Tavern.
Upstairs there'll be 15 covers at a copper bar and by the large windows overlooking Catherine Street plus a further 20 covers downstairs.
Augustus Harris's owner is Charles McDermott, a former financier from London who jacked in his day job and moved to New York to train at the International Culinary Centre before going on to spend five months in the kitchen at Keith McNally's Morandi in the West Village.
"I have always been drawn to Venice and especially the bàcari - they don't take themselves too seriously and have this great, simple and honest attitude to food and wine," Charles told Hot Dinners, adding his hopes are for Augustus Harris to be "somewhere with unpretentious food, where you could enjoy beautiful ingredients over a drink and be drawn into the bàcaro experience."
Augustus Harris will open in late October at 33 Catherine Street, London WC2B 5JT.
Augustus Harris, London, Covent Garden. Book now!
ambience
With rustic wooden walls and furniture, Augustus Harris on Covent Garden’s Catherine Street combines the style of a traditional Venetian tavern with stylish, modern decor.
Sit at the copper bar upstairs and watch as the buzz of central London goes on by around you, or take a seat in the cosy dining room with its mood lighting creating an intimate ambience, perfect for a romantic date.
On the menu at Augustus Harris you’ll find cicheti – small tapas style plates – and rustic Italian crostini, with a handpicked list of wines and mouthwatering cocktails serving as the perfect accompaniment to them.
London may have no shortage of Italian restaurants but Augustus Harris is a name that stands out from the crowd with its casual Italian cuisine and stylish atmosphere.
A favourite among Londoners and tourists alike, this Catherine Street joint draws in the crowds, so be sure to book in advance to avoid having to wait!
Augustus Harris - bar review | London Evening Standard
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