Riverscape

Brother Marcus opens its doors for all-day dining in Canary Wharf

As the East Mediterranean bar and restaurant brand welcomes its first Wharfers, we sit down with co-founders Alex Large and Tasos Gaitanos

Expect tables filled with East Med dishes at Brother Marcus - image by Brother Marcus
Expect tables filled with East Med dishes at Brother Marcus – image by Brother Marcus

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For Wharfers who’ve been around the sun a few times, catching its rays on the terrace with a pint of bad lager outside The Slug And Lettuce in Reuters Plaza was an essential – if oft messy – rite of passage. 

Tucked away to the right of the main exit from Cabot Place and Canada Place shopping malls en route to the Jubilee line, it was an ever-present temptation – a detour via dependable, if not luxurious debauchery.

Swept away in the project to refresh the building above – now YY London, soon to be home to unicorn Revolut – the space it once occupied has been in chrysalis mode for a few years just waiting for May 28, 2025.

Coinciding with the publication of our latest print issue, it’s now that Brother Marcus spreads wide is metaphorical butterfly wings to welcome Wharfers through the doors – taking this prominent corner of the estate from the ridiculous excesses of the Slug to the sublime of its future.

Founded the best part of a decade ago by three school friends – Tasos Gaitanos, Alex Large and Arthur Campbell – the incoming brand now operates across six sites with branches in Spitalfields, South Kensington, Borough, Angel and Covent Garden.

Spearheading that growth are Alex and Tas, with Arthur having since stepped away from the business, although not the friendship.

Connection is important and any significant time spent with the co-founders makes it clear where their priorities lie.

“We’re in a people business and that’s the end of it,” said Tas.

“We have one rule. Our job is to bring joy to our guests, but you can’t do that without bringing joy to the whole team and everyone needs to be on board with that.

“That’s how we’ve created something that resonates with people.”

Brother Marcus co-founders Alex Large, left, and Tasos Gaitanos - image by Jon Massey
Brother Marcus co-founders Alex Large, left, and Tasos Gaitanos – image by Jon Massey

channelling creativity into hospitality

Both Tas and Alex initially embarked on artistic careers before becoming involved in hospitality.

Alex trained as an actor and trod the boards in the West End, notably in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Noel Coward Theatre.

Tas spent about four years in Edinburgh, “taking my photography career incredibly seriously”. 

But freelance cycles of boom and bust saw both drawn to the world of food and drink.

A journey working for various businesses eventually led them to Balham and the opening of the first Brother Marcus.

“We had about £10,000 we’d got together for a street food truck,” said Alex.

“But we managed to get a cafe opened on that budget, building almost all of the furniture ourselves in Tas’ garden in three days. 

“Due to the lack of money, we worked with a guy in Georgia over Skype to build a website.

“I remember the first customer’s face. He wanted porridge, but we had to say it was off the menu.

“We were our own suppliers, pushing a shopping trolley down the high street from Sainsbury’s. 

“But that first day was awesome, even though we’d barely slept for three days.”

Tas added: “We opened on the Thursday and immediately realised we needed to employ five more people.

“By the Saturday we had 45-minute queues, not because they were long but as a result of it taking us so much time to serve people.”


Harissa eggs with kale and smashed avocado on sourdough toast - image by Brother Marcus
Harissa eggs with kale and smashed avocado on sourdough toast – image by Brother Marcus

expanding the Brother Marcus brand

Things have come on some distance since 2016, with Brother Marcus’ Canary Wharf restaurant the group’s largest to date with 90 covers inside and a further 84 on its expansive outdoor terrace, complete with retractable roof.

So what will it be serving up amid the terracotta, wicker pendant lights and textured curves? 

“We’re all-day dining, so we go from breakfast and lunch to dinner – everything is inspired by the East Mediterranean region,” said Tas.

“In the mornings we have breakfast pittas, with fillings like double crispy bacon or kofta and egg.

“They come with labneh, kasundi relish and are sprinkled with za’atar.

“Then, if you want to be really indulgent, we have larger dishes that we also serve during brunch at weekends.

“There’s a fried chicken rosti dish that can have halloumi, bacon and sausage added to it.”

Alex added: “These are all served with speciality coffee and, at weekends, amazing cocktails – when we offer two for £20.

“If you want to go mad, you can, or you can just have a quick breakfast.”

The restaurant is ready to welcome Wharfers - image by Brother Marcus
The restaurant is ready to welcome Wharfers – image by Brother Marcus

from lunch into indulgence

While accurate, rapid service is essential at breakfast time, Brother Marcus promises a more sedate, indulgent pace at lunchtimes for those who prefer to take things easy.

Its menu features meat, seafood and vegetables grilled over charcoal on skewers, a wide selection of mezze and “rip and dip” pitta bread with freshly made dips.

“Creating Brother Marcus has involved a lot of research, a lot of trips to the East Med,” said Tas.

“There’s a huge element of curiosity and exploration that goes into it.

“I’m from Cyprus, my mum’s English, my dad’s Cypriot but I was born in Crete, so I feel Cretan.

“I came to school in England, which is where I met Alex and Arthur – I understand what you get when you share culture and food.

“Every time we do one of these trips, it’s about trying a bit of this and a bit of that and then working out how we frame the flavour in a London context.

“We want to do that with our food, but also with our spaces.

“When you’re over there, the textures you see on the walls might be anything from 800 to 2,000 years old, so we have to ask how we can bring those colours – that feel – to a restaurant in Canary Wharf.”

Alex added: “What’s happened with this site in Canary Wharf is that we’ve been braver, as we’ve grown up with this brand.

“We’ve been more confident in using what we’ve discovered and what we love, rather than by playing things safe.

“We’re also really excited about the outdoor seating area, where people can drink, and it’s going to be our best by a long way and should open in the first week of June.”

A breakfast of granola and apricot at Brother Marcus - image by Brother Marcus
A breakfast of granola and apricot at Brother Marcus – image by Brother Marcus

the importance of food to Brother Marcus

Throughout our conversation, it’s clear both Alex and Tas are passionate about sharing the things they enjoy – something reflected in the act of breaking bread over mezze in one of their restaurants.

“One thing that’s been undeniably an integral part of our brand is having open kitchens and bars – a passion for ingredients and for making everything in-house,” said Tas, whose favourite dish on the menu is the lamb kofta skewers.

“There’s a real love for the quality and output of the food and beverages we want to deliver.

“We want to blur those boundaries between where the guests are sitting and where the chefs are working to gives customers the feeling of what it means to be part of the action of a restaurant.

“I think we’ve got the layers of that really nicely. If there are no barriers between me, the chef and the food, then that’s brilliant.

 “We’ve got this amazing mezze for £42 per person, so if people don’t want to decide, they can put their trust in our team members and we’ll curate the experience – find out what they like and dislike and then try to overfeed them so they leave satisfied and in a better place than when they arrived.”

Alex, who has a weakness for the brand’s cod’s roe taramasalata – “it’s the real deal” – added: “One of the great things about our concept that lines up with this area is that, if you want to come to dinner and spend £30 to £40 a head, that’s possible.

“Equally, if you want to come and spend £100 a head, you can do that as well. That works for the wide variety of people who work, live in or visit Canary Wharf.

“The area had been on our radar for a while, but it was always the case that is didn’t feel quite right before. 

“Canary Wharf has developed so much in recent years, it’s incredible now.

“As soon as this site at YY London came up it felt like we’d fit in.

“Sustainable expansion is key and hospitality and growth are enemies.

“We’ve learnt some serious lessons over the years – you have to protect the quality of what you’re doing.” 

The restaurant is the brand's largest, able to serve 90 covers inside and a further 84 on its weatherproof terrace - image by Brother Marcus
The restaurant is the brand’s largest, able to serve 90 covers inside and a further 84 on its weatherproof terrace – image by Brother Marcus

a drink and a name

In addition to food, Brother Marcus will offer a range of drinks including a wine list  where half of the bottles for sale at the restaurant come from the East Med. 

“When you come to our restaurant, the menu has got to tell a story, so the drinks also need to do that,” said Tas. “We wouldn’t be doing our guests a service if we just offered classic gin-and-tonics.

“We’re a creative company, so we do twists on classics – we work with seasonal ingredients, and we do things which differentiate us from other places – we’re proud of that.”

 Which just leaves one final story to tell, perhaps best served with a glass of rose on the venue’s terrace.

Brother Marcus is named for one of Alex’s twin siblings.

Alex’s tales of Brother Marcus’ gregarious scrapes became so frequent the name stuck and a brand was born.

Perhaps Brother Ben will get a venture in future.

The design takes its cues from multiple trips to the East Med to find inspiration for flavours and decor - image by Brother Marcus
The design takes its cues from multiple trips to the East Med to find inspiration for flavours and decor – image by Brother Marcus

key details: Brother Marcus

The latest branch of Brother Marcus is located on the lower floor of YY London in Canary Wharf’s Reuters Plaza. 

Taking bookings from May 28, 2025, for its soft launch, the restaurant is open from 7am-11pm, Monday to Friday, from 9am-11pm on Satudays and from 9am-9pm on Sundays.

Full service is set to begin from June 3.

Find out more about the restaurant and bar here

Read more: Lina Stores is set to open its doors in Canary Wharf

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Dez Amore brings burgers to join fresh pasta in Canary Wharf

Co-founder Leonardo Masi talks expansion and speeding up meals with quality ingredients

Dez Amore co-founder Leonardo Masi
Dez Amore co-founder Leonardo Masi

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Love is always a coming together.

For Leonardo Masi, co-founder of Dez Amore, that meant going beyond serving fresh pasta to customers at Mercato Metropolitano in Elephant And Castle. 

“I’d always been in hospitality, with patisseries and pizzerias in Italy,” said the Florentine.

“My parents are architects, my brother is a lawyer, but I didn’t like to study.

“I’m more a practical person rather than a student.

“In 2019, I started selling fresh pasta in London and for six months it was just me.

“I was working seven days a week, but it was a wonderful experience because it meant I found out what the business needed.

“After that, I was able to hire a colleague and we continued like that for a year.

“Our approach was simple – we offered a lot of good quality pasta, made quickly because our customers don’t have much time.

“There was a lot of running about.”

The business was initially known for its fresh pasta offering
The business was initially known for its fresh pasta offering

growing Dez Amore

That experience of being close to his customers, refining the business and giving people what they want has stood Leonardo in good stead. 

While working at Mercato Metropolitano, he also made a contact who would end up joining him as co-founder of Dez Amore. 

“I had a good relationship with Simone Parentini who was selling burgers at the Elephant And Castle food hall,” said Leonardo.

“Two minds are better than one and I prefer to have 50% of a company, work together and share problems.

“We both have family in Italy so we need to travel back and forth and this partnership allows us to do that.”

The duo have also brought their food together, with Dez Amore now offering both fresh pasta and smash burgers from its six branches, including two in Canary Wharf.

Speed is of the essence when it comes to the new model with the business laser-focused on delivering food in minutes to suit Londoners’ busy lives.

Dez Amore operates on two sites in Canary Wharf including this kiosk at Reuters Plaza
Dez Amore operates on two sites in Canary Wharf including this kiosk at Reuters Plaza

speeding up the process

“In Italy, when I used to sit down with my grandfather, we started with antipasto, then primo, then secundo, then contorno – the minimum was three hours for a meal,” said Leonardo. 

“Now a sit-down meal can be 45 minutes and we want to reduce this to 20. The food culture is completely different now.

“The time to eat is very short.

“Even though the pandemic has made things more difficult for a business like ours, we think there’s a niche there.

“We offer two very popular kinds of food – pasta for the Italian and burger for the American – and we’re about convenience.

“It might be that people coming home from work simply want an easy life so come to us to eat – we want to make life easy for our customers. 

“Perhaps a mum with three children will bring them to eat at Dez Amore for some healthy pasta. 

“It’s not fast food, but it is good food that is fast. Our customers understand quality and why it’s important. 

“We import ingredients from Italy to ensure the quality.

“We make everything from scratch in our central kitchen so that it’s as fresh as possible when we serve it, but also so that we can do it quickly.

“We are only satisfied when our customers are satisfied.

“It’s about reducing the time to finalise the dishes rather than cutting the preparation time.

“With a sauce, for example, we put in the proper time to make it so that it only takes a minute to finish it in the branch.

“We’ve also moved to smash burgers, which are faster to prepare and serve so customers have less waiting. 

“People eat our food at different times. Pasta is more of a sit-down dish, but you can eat a burger anywhere, even while you’re working. 

“In Canary Wharf, Wood Wharf is more of a sit-down option, while the kiosk is grab and go.

“We actually see an increase in burger sales after 6pm as people like to have them with a beer. 

“With both offerings now in our shops, we’re looking ahead to 2025 and we want to open two or three more locations.

“London is the best city in the world and we want to grow here.” 

A smash burger at Dez Amore
A smash burger at Dez Amore

key details: Dez Amore

You can find Dez Amore at MMy Wood Wharf and in one of the Reuters Plaza Kiosks in Canary Wharf.

Other locations include Camden, Wembley and Mayfair.

Find out more about the brand here

Read more: How Mike Joslin’s Bombe uses tech to help companies understand customers

Read Wharf Life’s e-edition here

Subscribe to our free Wharf Whispers newsletter here

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