Arepa & Co to launch new Venezuelan restaurant on Bethnal Green's Paradise Row

Venezuelan restaurant Arepa & Co is set to open a brand new site on Bethnal Green’s Paradise Row next month.

Husband and Wife team, Gus and Kathe, opened Arepa & Co Haggerston for the Venezuelan community back in 2014.

The new Arepa & Co restaurant will open on Paradise Row up to a large terrace, with bi-fold doors and a bare brick interior, with an open kitchen at the centre of the room and stools for counter dining at the bar.

On the mezzanine level a private dining area will be available, as well as a brand new selection of cocktails. Largely centred around rum, Venezuala’s nation spirit, libations will include the Arepa Sour with rum, lime and Gomme Syrup, and house made softs of Sugar cane lemonade and tropical juices.

For the Paradise Row opening, Arepa & Co also created a brand new menu which features Venezuelan classics and a brand new selection of arepa fillings, as well as small plates of Pastelitos, puff pastry parcels, and Hallaquitas, steamed corn dough balls.

There will also be traditional dishes of crispy fried plantain, and Tequenos, a cheese stuffed pastry with a guava sauce.

New arepa creations will include fried chicken, soft shell crab with chilli mayo and the Sabich, with roasted aubergine, pineapple and coconut chutney and pico de gallo.

At the heart of the mains will be Pabellón, which Gus describes as ‘Venezuela on a plate’. A traditional dish of shredded beef with black beans, fried plantain, rice and cheese.

Other dishes will include Cachapa Pernil, a soft corn pancake with 12 hour braised pork leg with jerk mayo, tomato and avocado salsa, and Fosforera, a seafood soup from the Venezuelan Caribbean coast.

Gus said: “I’m so proud that I’ve been able to bring the flavours of my home country to London, but I also want to show that Venezuelan cooking can be really creative, not just bound by traditional recipes.

“The new restaurant will be packed with influences from around the world, taking inspiration from our roots and creating something new and exciting around that.”

Kathe added: “We’re so thrilled to be opening our second restaurant in East London - its become our local area, its where we live, and where the Arepa & Co journey really began. We can’t wait to share the new project with our friends and neighbours!”

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