There’s a certain hum to a restaurant that’s found its rhythm. The clink of glasses, cutlery eagerly put to use , busy feet across the floor. We’re meeting at Archie's where Latin American flavours burst from the kitchen and the cocktails arrive as vibrant as the room itself. Since opening her first site 'Archway' in 2019, Emma has built a fiercely loyal following for bold, inventive and joyfully informal cooking. Now, as the “new kid on the block” turns heads in South London, we sit down to talk about formative Tabasco moments, the art of atmosphere, and what it really takes to build a restaurant people fall in love with.

Meet Emma

Emma is a restaurateur with a flair for flavour and atmosphere. After cutting her teeth in the events world, including launching a rooftop food, art and music venue in White City, she co-founded Archie’s in 2019, transforming a modest Archway site into one of North London’s most-loved brunch spots. She expanded to Herne Hill last year, building the second restaurant from the ground up. Drawn to bold, punchy cooking and spaces that hum with energy, Emma is passionate about creating neighbourhood hubs where good music, generous plates and warm service bring people together.

You opened your first restaurant 'Archies' in Archway in 2019 and last year a second and larger premises in Herne Hill.  We are meeting in your newest opening where the menus bring mouth-watering Latin American flavours and have been hugely celebrated as the new kid on the block in inventive, vibrant and informal cuisine and cocktails.

I’m not entirely sure, but when I was around 5 years old, I asked my mother what was in the little red bottle she was shaking into her Bloody Mary and she fed me a teaspoon that made me cough and cry simultaneously. It must have has a formative influence on my palate as I love using vinegar and chilli to lift recipes and I’ve found there is very little that isn’t improved with a few shakes of Tabasco on top!

What would you consider your signature dish and where did you first taste it?

One of our most popular dishes at Archie’s is ‘Huevos Rancheros’ which I first tried in Mexico and means “ranch style eggs” in Spanish. Traditionally it’s served with a soft tortillas, smoky chilli tomato sauce and refried beans but we’ve put our own twist on it and serve it with crispy tortillas (tostadas) fried corn ribs, guacamole, charred spring onions and pico de gallo salsa which gives it more texture and zing. 

What would you say is the feel and atmosphere that unites your Archie’s restaurants, and fills a gap in the current restaurant scene.

Music and lighting are really key for me. No one wants to have dinner in a brightly lit room or listen to depressing indie music. We always try to hire floor staff who are friendly and upbeat. Food may be the reason people walk through the door, but it’s the décor, the vibe and the service that turn a meal into an experience and keep them coming back.

How did you come to launch your first restaurant and what inspired you?

Before I opened the first Archie’s, I used to run an events company with a friend of mine. In 2015, we opened a pop up street food, art and music venue called Storeys on the roof of the old BBC car park in White City. It was a lot of hard work but it paid off and we had an amazing response. We planned to expand the project the following year, but after it gained significant attention, the White City developers (who had only contracted the space to us for a year) accepted a competing offer and awarded the space to another events team. It was a hard lesson that taught me the value of a long term lease. A few years later, I saw a message on Facebook from an old uni friend, asking for someone to help turn his struggling steak restaurant into a coffee and brunch concept. A consulting role turned in a business partnership and we launched Archie’s on Highgate Hill after several months of planning and a refurb. Thankfully, we had a long lease and the time to refine and shape the concept into what it is today.

What is your proudest moment to date?

Opening this new restaurant in Herne Hill – it’s significantly larger than our Archway site and was an empty shell so we had to build and design everything from the ground up. It took about 6 months and a certain amount of blood, sweat and tears but we got there in the end!

What advice would you give someone about to start their first restaurant?

Make sure you’re cut out for it first. Be prepared to work long hours and weekends. Have a simple menu. Get a good accountant and make sure you have tight controls on food and labour costs. Building with a management team whose skills complement my own has been a big help for me and there are online support groups like Countertalk for people in the industry who need advice on anything from  structuring rotas to negotiating with landlords. 

If you think you have the resilience and attention to detail then go for it! One of the joys of hospitality is the immediate feedback you get from your product. Hearing someone say “ we love this place”, “this was a great shout” or “that’s the best steak I’ve ever had” gives it all meaning. One of our Archway regulars recently hired the restaurant out to propose to his girlfriend because they’d had so many happy times together there which was really heart-warming. Creating community hubs that spark joy and connection is what it’s all about.

A REAL TREAT FOR TROY CUSTOMERS

TROY EXCLUSIVE: ARCHIE'S HUEVOS RANCHEROS

INGREDIENTS

500ml vegetable oil

4 eggs

2 corn cobs (cut in half lengthways, place the flat side down and cut again to make quartered "ribs”)

4 large salad onions (cut in half lengthways) or 8 small spring onions

250g refried beans, warmed (see separate recipe)

400g pico de gallo salsa (see separate recipe)

4 tbsp of guacamole (see separate recipe)

12 small (10cm) corn tortillas

4 tbsp sour cream

2 limes

Handful of pea shoots (or chopped coriander) for ganish 

Salt to taste

METHOD

1. Brush each sides of the tortillas with oil, place on a baking sheet, and bake at 205°C for about 4–5 minutes per side until crispy.

2. Mix sour cream with the juice of half a lime and two generous pinches of salt and set aside.

3. Heat vegetable oil to 175°C in a saucepan, filling it no more than one-third full. Cook the raw corn ribs into the hot oil in batches. Fry for 3–5 minutes until the kernels turn dark golden brown and the ribs curl. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels.

4. Drizzle spring onions with a little olive oil and grill in a cast iron pan until they get a nice char. Fry four eggs in same pan (spoon some of the hot oil over the yolk if like me you hate snotty eggs)

TO SERVE

  • Add a spoonful of the refried beans to the middle of each plate. 
  • Add 3 tortillas around the beans, and place a spoonful of guacamole onto the first tortilla, a spoonful of sour cream onto the second and two corn ribs to the third. Add two pieces of spring onion on top of the guacamole.
  • Place a fried egg on top of the beans and a generous spoonful of pico de gallo on top of the egg. Garnish with pea shoots or some chopped coriander and a wedge of lime.

EXTRA RECIPES TO TAKE IT UP A NOTCH

Refried beans

35g lard

Medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 jalapeno chilli,finely chopped

600g tin of black beans

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon table salt

Tip the beans and their water into a bowl and blend with a stick blender or use a potato masher if you prefer more texture. Set aside. Melt the lard in a frying pan and fry the onion until soft and golden. Add the garlic and chilli and cook for 2–3 minutes. Add the beans to the pan with the fried onions and cook over a medium heat  for a few minutes with the oregano and the salt until the mixture reaches your desired consistency. 

Guacamole

1 jalapeño or serrano green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
½ small white onion, finely chopped
¼ tsp salt
1 large ripe avocado
Juice of ½–1 lime
1 small handful coriander, chopped

Pound the chopped chilli in a pestle and mortar with the onion and salt. When they’re broken down to a paste, add the avocado and break up with a fork. Stir in the lime juice to taste and the chopped coriander. 

Pico de gallo salsa 

2 large ripe tomatoes, deseeded and finely diced
½ onion, finely chopped
A handful of coriander, chopped
1 jalapeño chilli, finely chopped
¼ tsp salt
Juice of ½–1 lime

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, starting with juice of half a lime and adding more to taste, if desired.

ALFRESCO DINING LAYERS

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