Polpo Ltd, the London-based restaurant and bar group led by Russell Norman and Richard Beatty, is to develop an eponymous brand, after confirming it has secured its sixth site in the capital.

As revealed by M&C Report earlier this month, the group, which opened the first Polpo site in Beak Street near the end of 2009, has taken the lease on the site of the Italian restaurant La Cucina in Cowcross Street, Smithfield for what will become its third Polpo when it opens in July.

The group has also renamed its da Polpo site in Covent Garden under the Polpo format, which features small tapas-style Italian dishes.

The new Smithfield site will feature 70-covers internally and 20 covers outside, while basement will offer a Negroni Bar.

Norman, who is a former operations director at Caprice Holdings, and Beatty opened their fifth site in the capital, Mishkin’s - “a Jewish deli with cocktails” - at the end of last year in Covent Garden’s Opera Quarter.

They also operate the Spuntino and Polpetto sites in the capital.

Property adviser Selsian brokered the Cowcross Street deal.

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