01 · SignatureMole negro
- Problem
- 31 ingredients · two days
- What I did
- My grandmother’s recipe, with chilhuacle negro chillies brought back each winter. Served with confit duck leg and blue-corn tortillas.
Result
Dish
Private dinners booking from May
Tomás Ibarra
Restaurant General Manager · London
A full room, a happy kitchen and numbers that add up.
- 90
- covers
- −52%
- staff turnover
- 4.8★
- guest rating
↗DishMole negro
✦DishTetela de frijol
Case studies
Problems I’ve solved
01 · Signature
02 · SignatureTetela de frijol
- Problem
- Masa made in-house
- What I did
- Triangular stuffed masa, black beans, hoja santa, salsa macha and a little queso fresco.
Result
Dish
03 · SummerAguachile verde
- Problem
- Raw · served cold
- What I did
- Cornish scallops cured in lime and serrano, cucumber, red onion and toasted pumpkin seeds.
Result
Dish
04 · 2023–
Comal supper club
- Problem
- Founder
- What I did
- A ten-course dinner on the first Friday of each month in a Hackney bakery. Sold out 26 months running.
Result
Pop-up
Roadmap so far
2017 – 2021
Assistant Manager
Brindisa Kitchen
2021 – PresentNow
Restaurant General Manager
Maíz, Soho
How I work
I run a 90-cover restaurant: front of house, bookings, wine list, staffing and the P&L.
I’ve cut staff turnover in half by fixing rotas and paying tips fairly.
Toolkit
Front of houseP&LRotasWine listBookingsHiring & trainingHealth & safetyLicensing
“Every guest feels like a regular when he’s on the floor.”
Education
WSET Level 3 Award in Wines
Wine & Spirit Education Trust · 2019
Education
Personal Licence Holder
Westminster City Council · 2017
2021–2023
Bib Gourmand, Maíz
Michelin Guide
2024
Best Supper Club, London Food Awards