Auguste: A Refined Abruzzo-Inspired Italian Bistro in London Fields
Chic little Italian restaurants are all the rage in London right now, with trendy spots like Dalla, Tiella, and Osteria Vibrato drawing crowds with their silky cacio e pepe and heavy-duty negronis. Auguste, however, offers a different kind of Italian experience. This elegant east-London bistro focuses on the hearty mountain cuisine of Abruzzo, a hilltop region east of Rome known for sheep farming, robust red wines, and mysterious medieval towns. With minimal pasta on the menu, Auguste stands out as a refined yet unpretentious dining destination.
The restaurant is the first permanent venture from nomadic chef Mike Bagnall, who continues to run his Elm pop-up at Peckham's Montpellier pub, and general manager Dylan Walters, formerly of Bambi. Despite being a debut, the operation is remarkably slick. The duo has transformed the former Papi space with large colorful canvases, white cafe curtains, and wooden school chairs, creating an atmosphere that feels both Parisian and distinctly Hackney.
Start your meal with an icy cold vesper martini, surely the cocktail of the summer. The menu features a rosti with blue cheese and marjoram that is every bit as epic as it sounds. While a few dishes are light—such as cured sea bream with puttanesca salsa or fresh asparagus with peas and wild garlic—most are rich and hearty triumphs that embrace indulgence. Highlights include mystical wild boar-stuffed morel mushrooms topped with truffle, perfect for a troll boy dinner, and alluring chicken saltimbocca in a heady jus. The sole pasta dish, caramelized onion and soft cheese cappelletti in a lamb brodo, is robust enough to win a powerlifting competition. Remarkably, no dish exceeds £18, a rarity in this part of east London.
Auguste's finest offerings may be its simplest: skinny, flame-grilled skewers known as arrosticini. Salt-marsh lamb and Suffolk wagyu are fabulously juicy and intoxicatingly smoky, while a rose veal liver-and-onion version is earthy enough to convert even the liver-phobic. Various dips, including a creamy bagna cauda, are available, but the skewers are almost better enjoyed naked.
If you aren't afraid of flavor, Auguste should be your next east London booking. The vibe is elegant but earthy, the food is hearty and meaty, and the drink list features wines from Abruzzo, as well as £5 Camparino apertivo, martinis, and negronis. Time Out tip: order the skewers, you maniacs. For more Italian dining options, check out the 20 best Italian restaurants in London.
Details: Address: 373 Mentmore Terrace, London Fields, London E8 3DQ. Visit the website for more information. If you own this business, sign in and claim it.
