In a matter of months they succeeded in turning an abandoned garage into one of London’s most acclaimed restaurants, 108 Garage. Now Luca Longobardi, the man they called 'The Mafia’s Banker', and Chris Denney, described by the nation’s most acerbic food writer as “the kind of chef who comes along only once or twice in a decade”, are set to cement their reputation with the launch of a second restaurant, Southam Street, in September.
Carving themselves something of an empire in Notting Hill, the pair have taken over a grand old former Victorian pub and rechristened it Southam Street, after the historic thoroughfare - immortalised on the front cover of Colin MacInnes’ cult classic Absolute Beginners - that joins Golborne Road where the new venture stands.
Although under the direction of Chris Denney, Southam Street will be a showcase for a new emerging talent chef. The ground floor will harness the best techniques for flame and heat from around the world; a Japanese robata grill will reveal what can be done to fish, meat and vegetables with subtle variations of different charcoals while Big Green Egg, universally acknowledged as the best ceramic charcoal grill and smoker on the planet, will provide big, bold barbecue flavours.
Upstairs in the first floor Raw Bar, a Japanese sushi master will preside over a mostly Nikkei menu, a fusion food that mixes Peruvian and Japanese ingredients and techniques. The space will also feature a separate sake room. The second floor meanwhile will house a champagne bar, offering a list that encompasses both Grandes Marques and smaller-production, artisan houses, and the opportunity for private membership.
The story of the disgraced financier and the unknown chef ready to hang up his apron and quit the food business, who came together to open one of London’s most talked about restaurants, sounds like the plotline of a TV drama or novel. Yet when the much anticipated book reaches the shops, it will be found in the non-fiction section.
Luca Longobardi, the founder and CEO of 108 Garage, moved from Naples to New York in his youth, living on the street while trying to break into the finance industry. Fast forward a few years and he had become the most successful broker at his firm, married to a Miss Brazil. Next came the launch of his own international investment bank.
Then his world crumbled. A false accusation of money laundering put Luca on Interpol’s ‘most wanted’ list and he was arrested and sent to a maximum-security prison in Brazil. Even though he was finally exonerated, neither his business nor his marriage survived.
Chris Denney meanwhile started out as a struggling artist, moonlighting as a pot-washer to help make ends meet. After deciding to become a full-time chef, he slowly pulled himself up through the ranks, eventually landing a job in a Michelin-starred kitchen.
He then spent the next decade travelling the world, researching new techniques and tastes. Frustrated at being unable to find a backer for his own venture, Chris contemplated returning to his original career as an artist.
All this changed when he answered Luca’s advert on Gumtree, recognising in himself someone “ready to sail on a new adventure in Notting Hill”.
Less than a year after it opened, 108 Garage is now fully booked for dinner months in advance; even Heston Blumenthal is a fan, describing it as ‘a breath of fresh air’.
The opening of Southam Street is by no means the end of the line for Luca and Chris.
Set to break new ground in more ways than one, their next project, Home Noir, will combine a members’ club with 20 loft apartments, a restaurant, clubhouse and roof deck. It will also be the first hospitality project in the world to raise its capital via cryptocurrency, using an Initial Coin Offering (ICO).
