Rocola: Crudo Group’s Rotating Chef Restaurant in Hackney, 2026

Key Points

• Crudo Group, the team behind Crudo Cocina Latina (Covent Garden and Shoreditch) and Tiny Wine (Fitzrovia), is launching a new venue called Rocola on Mare Street in Hackney.
• Rocola will operate as a rotating kitchen and bar with a permanent menu alongside a programme of guest chef residencies, tastings and events.
• The opening residency features Dublin-born chef Nico Reynolds, whose menu draws on Jamaican and Irish heritage and South American influences.
• The permanent food offering focuses on Southern European and Latin American small plates, crudos and seasonal sharing dishes.
• The drinks programme is led by the Tiny Wine team, with a 60–80 bottle wine list of small producers and Latin American–inspired cocktails including Margaritas, Palomas and Pisco Sours.
• Rocola is scheduled to open on 8 July 2026 at 143 Mare Street, Studio 3, London E8 3FW, operating Tuesday to Saturday, 4–11pm.
• The space seats 10 at the bar counter and 14–16 at tables, with a fully open kitchen and bar visible from most seats.

Hackney (East London Times) July 1, 2026 –Rocola is a new restaurant, bar and rotating kitchen being launched by Crudo Group on Mare Street in Hackney, East London, with an opening date set for 8 July 2026. The venue is the latest project from founders Maria Yanez and Carlos Socorro, who established Crudo Cocina Latina in 2019 and have since operated sites in Covent Garden and Shoreditch, as well as the Latin American–focused wine bar Tiny Wine in Fitzrovia. As reported by Hospitality & Catering News, the group will introduce Rocola as “a new East London restaurant, bar and rotating kitchen with guest chefs” on 8 July. Hospitality Week added that the east London venue will open with Dublin-born chef Nico Reynolds leading its first guest kitchen residency.

How will Rocola’s rotating chef residency model work?

Rocola is built around a dual model: a permanent, in-situ menu and a changing programme of guest chefs and kitchen residencies. According to The Upcoming, the name Rocola is the Spanish word for “jukebox”, a reference to the team’s approach of bringing

“different chefs, sounds and influences into a single space while retaining a consistent identity”.

The format echoes multi-chef residency concepts such as Carousel, but within a smaller, intimate setting focused on an open kitchen and bar.

The residency programme will launch with chef Nico Reynolds, whose cooking combines Jamaican heritage, Irish produce and influences from time spent in South America, including Buenos Aires.

As outlined by The Upcoming, his menu will include small plates such as Prawn Causa, Summer Squash Tiradito, Aji de Gallina Tostadas and a Smashed Beetroot Salad with Coconut and Lime Leaf.

Larger dishes will feature Jerk Lamb Shepherd’s Pie Coxinha, Monkfish and Mussels with Nduja Butter and Patacones (carrots, scotch bonnet and ginger sauerkraut), with a Mango Cheesecake to finish.

What will be on Rocola’s permanent menu?

Alongside the rotating residencies, Rocola will run a short, seasonal permanent menu designed for sharing. The Upcoming reported that the in-situ offering will include snacks and aperitivo-style bites such as olives, gildas and focaccia, a changing selection of antipasti, smaller sharing dishes and a handful of larger plates from the grill or oven.

The kitchen intends to keep the menu concise to remain responsive to available ingredients and the wider programme of events.

This approach aligns with Crudo’s existing focus on Southern European and Latin American flavours, with crudos and seasonal plates forming part of the core identity.

Who is designing the drinks programme and what will it feature?

The drinks offering at Rocola is being led by the team behind Tiny Wine, with a wine list of around 60 to 80 bottles focusing on small producers and a by-the-glass selection.

Cocktails will include classics such as Margaritas, Palomas and Pisco Sours, alongside house creations influenced by Latin America.

This continues the group’s established emphasis on Latin American wine and cocktail culture, as seen at Tiny Wine in Fitzrovia, which opened in July 2025 with a focus on low-intervention wines and small plates.

Where is Rocola located and what are its opening hours and capacity?

Rocola is located at 143 Mare Street, Studio 3, London E8 3FW, in the same Monohaus building on Mare Street where Crudo previously operated a larger site before shifting focus to Covent Garden and Shoreditch.

The Upcoming reported that the space is designed around a fully open kitchen and bar, visible from most seats, with exposed concrete, warm lighting and an industrial finish.

Capacity is limited: the venue will seat 10 at the bar counter and between 14 and 16 at tables. Opening hours are Tuesday to Saturday, 4pm to 11pm.

Bookings can be made by calling 020 4547 3100 or via the group’s website, with further updates posted on Rocola’s Instagram.

How does Rocola fit into Crudo Group’s wider expansion?

Rocola marks another step in Crudo Group’s growth from a grab-and-go ceviche concept into a multi-site restaurant and bar operator.

Maria Yanez and Carlos Socorro launched Crudo Cocina Latina in 2019, with sites in Covent Garden and Shoreditch, before adding Tiny Wine in Foley Street, Fitzrovia, in July 2025.

Hardens noted that Tiny Wine was described by the team as potentially “the smallest in London”, seating 22 in its 200 sq ft bar, with additional standing, outdoor and private dining capacity.

Rocola extends this small-scale, high-concept approach into a dedicated residency format in East London, while maintaining the group’s Latin American and Southern European culinary identity.

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Background: How did Crudo Group develop before launching Rocola?

Crudo began as a grab-and-go ceviche concept before moving into full-service restaurants, with an emphasis on making ceviche more accessible.

The group’s first permanent sites opened in central and east London, with Crudo Cocina Latina establishing a presence in Covent Garden and Shoreditch.

In 2022, the brand operated a larger Mare Street site in Hackney, described by Hot Dinners as “their biggest yet”, before later consolidating around its core locations.

Tiny Wine followed in 2025, taking over the former Crudo site in Fitzrovia and focusing on low-intervention wines and small plates.

Rocola represents the next phase, combining a permanent menu with a rotating chef programme in a compact, open-kitchen setting on Mare Street.

Prediction: How might Rocola affect diners, chefs and the local hospitality scene in Hackney?

For diners in Hackney and wider East London, Rocola’s residency model could broaden access to diverse culinary styles without requiring travel to central London, as guest chefs bring varied menus into a single, consistent venue.

For chefs, particularly those testing new concepts or building profiles, the rotating kitchen format offers a lower-risk platform to present focused menus to a curated audience, potentially accelerating career progression and experimentation.

For the local hospitality scene, the addition of a small, high-frequency residency venue on Mare Street may intensify competition for evening trade while also drawing additional footfall to the area, especially if the programme attracts media attention and repeat visits for different chef takeovers.