Maria Florence Perez
06/05/2021 6:01 AM
Clarín.com
Gourmet
Updated 06/05/2021 6:01 AM
In 2001, Fernando Trocca returned to Argentina after living for a time in New York and defied the crisis by creating
Sucre
in Bajo Belgrano. Thus he revolutionized the local gastronomic scene and turned this space into
one of the most prestigious restaurants in Buenos Aires
. Twenty years later, also in a recessive context, it takes the opposite direction. His “eldest son” expands internationally: he
opens a branch in the Soho neighborhood of London, United Kingdom
, where he will operate under the name Sucre London.
In this project, the participation of
his strategic partner and personal friend, Tato Giovannoni,
is crucial
. Who was elected the best bartender in the world in 2020 - by his colleagues representing the 50 Best Bars - will lead
Abajo, a bar installed in the basement
that will work in a complementary but also autonomous way, as a destination in itself.
“A powerful team of Argentine talent”, this is how the British specialized press describes Trocca and the creator of the award-winning Florería Atlántico bar and expresses the expectation for the openings scheduled for the month of July.
“We have been with this project for a long time.
I am very happy, happy
, putting together the philosophy of the place in relation to what Sucre is in Argentina, the menu and the teams ”, Trocca tells
Clarín
from London, the city where he plans to settle for the next 7 months.
The façade of the building where the Sucre London restaurant, by the Argentine Fernando Trocca, will operate.
Photo: Instagram.
His projects have long transcended borders
.
In addition to the Buenos Aires Sucre, its inventory includes Orilla in Buenos Aires and Miami and Mostrador Santa Teresita in José Ignacio (Uruguay) and Montauk (Long Island, New York).
The decision to grow abroad is not arbitrary: “When I saw the economic situation in Argentina, I began to think and project things in other places.
It is very sad but I am already at an age
when I lost hope of seeing changes in our country and before it is too late I decided to set up projects abroad
where things are normally much more stable ”, Trocca explains.
Trocca with bartender Tato Giovannoni, his partner in London.
What will Sucre London restaurant and Abajo bar be like?
Sucre London will operate on the ground floor of
an iconic building in the city that has more than three centuries of history
and that previously housed the London College of Music.
For the setting of the restaurant they summoned the top Japanese architect Noriyoshi Muramatsu.
Respecting the heritage of this high-ceilinged space, which
was once a concert hall
, they will embrace an industrial aesthetic complemented by imposing chandeliers.
Chefs will take center stage with
an open kitchen
featuring
a spectacular wood-burning oven
.
It will have capacity for 123 covers.
In
Abajo London they
promise DJs, live music and the aesthetics and
spirit of the Argentine under bars of the eighties
"that injected color and creativity" to the post-dictatorship years.
There will also be elements that will refer to an industrial aesthetic: exposed brick walls, steel columns and wooden ceilings.
Scallop Tiradito, one of the dishes to be served in Sucre London.
What to eat and drink in Sucre London and at the Abajo bar
Beef tongue with green sauce, beef quesadilla, Iberian pork slaughter and patty with aged cheddar cheese and onion, are some of the dishes on the Sucre London menu, which is divided into six sections.
The fires are at the heart of the gastronomic proposal: the oven, the grill and the wood provide identity to the proposal, which, however,
does not intend to refer to Argentine gastronomy
.
“We are not going to be a steakhouse either.
Obviously there will be some dishes with a little influence from my country of origin but we don't want to be classified like that ”, clarifies the mentor of the culinary proposal.
The wine list proposes a journey from the Old to the New World
.
South American labels are featured alongside European wines to showcase the historical origins of the grapes.
The migration of varieties, techniques and winemakers from Europe to America are protagonists.
In the Abajo bar, designed as the centerpiece of this space so that customers can
better see how the drinks are prepared
, some options will be the
Pink & Bitter
(distillation of Fernet Branca, Coca Cola, fresh cherries, pink grapefruit and soda) grapefruit) and
Something Yellow
(Tequila, Strega liqueur, banana, flowers and turmeric).
Argentines on the British gourmet map
Less than a month after the opening of both places,
specialized
British journalism
anticipates the inaugurations in articles that
give an account of the dimension of the figures of Giovannoni and Trocca in the Latin American gastronomic field
. They mention both the international credits of the bartender and the fact that Sucre Buenos Aires has repeatedly featured on the list of the 50 best Latin American restaurants.
The truth is that Argentine chefs in charge of high-end restaurants are scarce in those latitudes. One of the few previous cases is
Martín Milesi
, Trocca's personal friend, who cooks for a single table in a historic London tower. For this reason, these openings represent
another step in the enhancement of Argentine creativity and entrepreneurship
on the map of international gastronomy.
In the case of Trocca, who for many years
advised Gaucho, an international restaurant chain based in the British capital
and whose owners are also partners in this new project, this foray can be interpreted as a logical sequence of his career.
His professional history with this city is long.
However, for him, opening a restaurant in one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world is much more than that, it is something personal, it is
a dream about to come true
.
EC
Look also
The Argentine chef who cooks for a single table in a historic London tower
Why Fayer is the trendy Argentine restaurant
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