Located at 11 Reading Road, the restaurant will take over the former site of Nino’s Trattoria, which closed its doors in April.
The restaurant says its menus have been designed around locally sourced ingredients and ‘only the highest quality produce’ and is set to feature weekly rotating set menus, seasonal a la carte dishes as well as a Sunday roast service.
Starters are set to include seared diver scallops with pineapple and capsicum salsa and pancetta crisp; maple-glazed chicken thighs, little gem lettuce and harissa mayonnaise; followed by mains such as seared fillet of stone bass, pimento coulis, asparagus tips and padron peppers; and venison pavé, dauphinoise potatoes, Roscoff onion and red wine jus.
To complete the menu, desserts will feature sticky toffee pudding with toffee sauce and Devonshire clotted cream; Eton mess with meringue, summer berries, whipped cream and coulis; as well as a white chocolate and raspberry cheesecake with berry sorbet.
The venue’s bar operation will be overseen by Meston’s brother James, who will lead the cocktail programme.
Meston began his hospitality career washing pots in a local pub before gaining experience at The Hand & Flowers in Marlow and later at London Street Brasserie.
The launch marks the fulfilment of a long-held ambition for Meston, who has lived and worked in the Reading area throughout his career. In a letter published on the restaurant’s website, he described No.11 as ‘a place to celebrate, to socialise, to network, to have fun’.
The note goes on to say: ‘I am so excited to share with you my vision and ideas of what a small, community focussed restaurant can be.
‘Our food wherever possible, will be locally sourced, with a concentration on high quality ingredients cooked with love and presented with care & attention.
No.11 will open Wednesday to Saturday from 12pm to 11pm, with Sunday service running from 12pm to 6pm. The restaurant’s first public service on 31 May will be a Sunday roast service.