In vino veritas: chef Matthew Scott, left, pours wine into the mouth of his new business partner, natural wine expert Charlie Carr
(Picture: Daniel Hambury/Stella Pictures Ltd)What will become a party is not yet a party when Matthew Scott, 33, and Charlie Carr, 29, are sat in Wingnut Wines with an open bottle between them. Scott is turning a glass between his thumbs. This is before midday, which means it is before the Malibu and whisky shots and an impromptu catwalk run of sunglasses from a hut next door (bought on credit, though you could say Scott just walked away with them, making promises). It’s before there’s an explanation of why puddings are best when named after porn websites (something about wrong-footing those who think they know everything); before Carr telling stories of his career as a jockey and before Scott recites Wendy Cope — and cheekily claims it as his own. It is before they throw wine over each other. It is before a lot of stuff. And it is before I get home and wonder what just happened.
Carr and Scott’s story is not the usual one. This month, the pair open Papi near Hackney’s Broadway Market, which marks the first permanent restaurant for either; despite that, it’s also easily among the most keenly anticipated openings of this year. With a knowing glance, it will serve an artful riff on nostalgic party food — maybe an elevated Maccies burger, or a Mr Whippy cone gone luxe — in an open kitchen where DJs spin and everyone stays till way past late. It is, then, the restaurant everyone east of Soho is set to flock to as soon as it opens its doors from Valentine’s Day.
