For 13 years diners have congregated at Lardo, the buzzy diner in a reimagined Hackney warehouse specialising in wine and Italian dishes. Now, it’s evolving in a bold, sharp direction thanks to new head chef Marta Sandini, who’s expanding the Lardo remit beyond Italy.
“This corner of east London is having a refreshed moment as a culinary destination – it makes for an exciting and scary time for us as a legacy neighbourhood spot,” said owner Nathan Woodhead in a statement. “We want to be here in 10 years, so we have to show up and do something incredible.”
From May 12, the Italian-born chef is taking charge of the menu, folding in influences from her time cooking in China, Australia and New York, London restaurants Naughty Piglets and Luca, as well as a stint at Slovenia’s Hisa Franko (of Chef’s Table fame). The result is loud, globe-hopping dishes like a potato and fermented cabbage spring rolls with parmesan cream and crispy chilli oil, leek and pecorino croquettes, and chocolate mousse with pickled chilli.
Here, Sandini shares what she has in store for Lardo and its notorious disco-ball pizza oven – including her signature “ninja” pizza, which is inspired by Chinese steamed buns and the Ninja Turtles.
Hi Marta, tell us about your new job.
I am the new head chef at Lardo. My role is to lead the kitchen, shape the menu and bring a clear identity to the food – something that feels honest, ingredient-led and consistent every day. I’ll be leading the charge on a Sunday lunch menu, too, which I’m really looking forward to.
Why did Lardo feel like the right fit?
Lardo is a place with strong foundations, yet has room for me to grow. I was looking for somewhere – and someone – to let me bring my own voice to the table, and Lardo (and Nathan) are trusting me to evolve the whole menu for its next chapter.
What fun plans do you have for your new role?
More flavour, more personality, and a menu that feels alive and constantly moving, without overcomplicating it. I’ve been lucky to inherit the famous disco ball pizza oven in the Lardo kitchen, so I’ll be having fun with that!
What dishes and changes are you most excited to introduce to Lardo?
A particular highlight for me is the open lasagne of confit rabbit with fermented radish and a brown butter jus gras. I feel like it’s a dish that represents my cooking style and perfectly suits Lardo.
I’m excited to bring in bolder flavours and combinations; things that feel familiar but with a twist. Little touches like house condiments, pickles, ferments or sauces that elevate simple dishes and make them memorable.
We’ll be keeping the Lardo core pizzas (margherita, Hotties, Carbonara) but I’m excited to introduce some seasonal specials like Brizza ¬– half bread, half pizza – with mangalitza lardo, confit garlic butter and pecorino.
How will your Italian heritage feed into the menu?
Italian cooking is a way of life; it taught me respect for ingredients and people and balance. But I don’t cook strictly Italian, I mix it with everything I’ve seen, lived and tasted. It’s more emotional than technical.
Will we see anything people know from the restaurants you’ve worked at in the past?
Yes, small elements and ideas get reworked for a new environment. I put a version of the “ninja” pizza on the menu at Naughty Piglets when I was head chef there, and more recently at a residency in Rome. The olive oil jam is another element from my past that will make it onto a new dish. I like to evolve things, so even if something feels familiar, it will always be different!
Tell us about the “ninja” pizza – what is it?
The ninja pizza came from a thought and then a Q&A session I had with myself, starting like: “the Ninja Turtles love pizza, I love pizza. How do I make an Asian pizza, what if I make the dough Asian? What is something I used to eat in China? A steamed bun. Okay, so I’m going to do a steamed bun pizza. How do I make it indulgent? A brioche bun, of course.”
The dough is steamed and filled with ricotta, smoked scamorza and mozzarella but because I am Italian, it’s an olive oil brioche bun. With a dipping sauce, a roasted datterino tomato one! Et voila.
