From Bethnal Green To Shoreditch: Tasca’s Summer Takeover

Tasca, the Portuguese and Spanish-inspired food and wine concept from Head Chef Josh Dallaway and Sommelier Sinead Murdoch, has brought its acclaimed evolving menu and wine list to Shoreditch this summer. The duo has taken over Project 44, the neighbourhood café and wine bar that has become one of East London’s busiest and most beloved. In the evenings, Tasca has transformed the space into a Southern European-inspired wine bar and restaurant.

Tasca x Project 44 opened on Wednesday 22nd July with a soft launch, offering 50% off food until 25th July. Regular service began on 29th July.

Tasca made its name during a celebrated kitchen residency in Bethnal Green, picking up a five-star review from Time Out, which called it “an inventive, wildly impressive Portuguese and Spanish-inspired pop-up” that was “close to perfection”, and four stars from the Evening Standard, where critic David Ellis praised its “beautiful food and fair prices”. Since then, Tasca has travelled through Europe and Asia, from Bloco in Lisbon to No Bar Wine Bar in Bangkok, before returning to Bristol at The Scrandit. Now, Josh and Sinead have brought that same warmth and produce-led cooking to Shoreditch.

Sinead has curated a suitably summery wine list, with a focus on wines from Mediterranean and maritime climates. The selection highlights quality wines from smaller, thoughtful producers who favour a low-intervention approach to winemaking. Alongside a daily changing by-the-glass selection featuring coastal whites, unique skin-contact wines and chilled reds, there are special Coravin pours for those looking to try something a little more special. Alongside wine, guests can also enjoy a selection of vermouth, port and sherry served with soda or tonic.

Josh’s menu continues Tasca’s seasonal, produce-led approach, opening with a classic anchovy gilda and a selection of toasts, including cured Cecina de León on grilled bread with cep butter, Piquillo pepper with goat’s curd and nettle, and Cornish crab over requeijão, the Portuguese curd cheese Josh and Sinead discovered while travelling. There is also Zamorano with fried almonds and Asturian honey, alongside an Iberian charcuterie plate designed for sharing.

The plates follow suit. Extending Project 44’s coffee into the evening, candy beetroots are baked in used Project 44 coffee grounds and served with coffee vinegar cream, hazelnut and nasturtiums. Marinated cucumbers are paired with gala melon, chamomile and fig leaf, while mackerel crudo is complemented by Merendella peach and coriander seed buttermilk. Dexter beef tartare is dressed al pilpil using monkfish cheeks for richness. A Nutbourne tomato tart with Manchego and watercress adds something greener, alongside Josh’s signature Cornish mussel and chorizo rice for sharing. To finish, there’s a lighter sheep’s yoghurt crema with apricot and bay leaf.

Founded by Graham Hussey and Mark Juby, Project 44 opened with a clear mission to create a true neighbourhood café and wine bar for Shoreditch. In less than 12 months, it has grown into one of East London’s busiest and most loved coffee shops, known for its warm, hospitality-led service, excellent coffee and strong commitment to the local community. Rooted in East London and built for the people who live and work there, Project 44 champions exceptional local suppliers. It is a space that feels independent, generous and unmistakably part of the neighbourhood. Tasca’s residency builds on the venue’s growing wine offering, with more from Project 44 on the wine front still to come.

Tasca’s evening takeover continues that same hospitality-led ethos, swapping coffee for Coravin pours while maintaining the warmth and neighbourhood spirit that Project 44 was built on.

It is a bright, communal space surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows that bring the outdoors in. Located in the heart of Shoreditch, the outside seating on charming cobbled Rivington Street provides the perfect spot for people-watching. This summer, the space has transformed after dark for Tasca’s residency.