Chef Rafael Cagali to open second restaurant

Chef Rafael Cagali, the owner of two-Michelin-starred Da Terra, has announced the opening of his second restaurant this autumn, Elis.

The chef will reportedly be taking over the space that used to house the Corner Room, set within the historic Town Hall Hotel. Elis is said to be “a more relaxed interpretation” of his Brazilian-Italian heritage, serving an a la carte menu and wines from the team at Noble Rot. 

After moving to the UK, Cagali worked at The Fat Duck in Berkshire and then moved to Yashin Ocean House before joining Simon Rogan at Fera and later Aulis as head chef. Cagali opened Da Terra in 2019, located in Bethnal Green’s historic Town Hall Hotel, a building which originally dates back to 1910. 

Elis will serve Vitello tonnato, cod fritters, gnocco fritto, parmesan and speck, as well as churros pecorino. The menu will also include pasta dishes like crab tagliolini verde and larger dishes to share such as baby monkfish tail with black tucupi glaze and pork chops with black beans and chimichurri. 

The wine list will be a “concise” selection of 10-12 bottles highlighted at any given time, with five or six wines by the glass.

The new restaurant has been described as “elegant and dynamic”, with the space for around 30 people set within the historic Town Hall Hotel, with bespoke design elements in collaboration with Studio Nathan Miller.

Cagali said: “Elis is inspired by my mother and childhood and we will be serving more rustic dishes, with a selection of elegant snacks and good wines. I have wanted to explore some of the more relaxed elements of Brazilian and Italian food culture for some time; drawing on everything  from my favourite street food to family meal celebration dishes that my grandma used to make.”