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SEA CHANGELondon’s newest It-restaurantmarks a fresh move for its founders.Ellie Pithers dives into Neptune.Photographs by Dylan ThomasOn a spring morning atNeptune, a brand-newrestaurant on London’sRussell Square, the deathknell is sounding for millennial pink. Assunlight filters in through the windows,illuminating grand, listed Victoriancolumns garnished with plaster-reliefcherubs and palms, velvet banquettes anda sparkling metallic oyster bar, it’s clearfrom the gleaming walls and cavernousceiling that 2018 is all about peach.Neptune’s vivacious co-founder andcreative mastermind Margaret Crow, 32,insists it’s a hyper-flattering hue. “Peachand soft uplighting make everyone lookfit,” she says, in her Texan twang. Andif the peach doesn’t work, chef BrettRedman, 37, has seen to it that thecocktails will. “Overproof, that’s the key,”he laughs. The Neptune take on aSazerac – “that total drunk-housewife``````cocktail, feathery mule dangling off yourtoe,” elaborates Crow – made, unusually,with rye gin sourced from California, isrobust enough to transform your evening.Crow and Redman will be familiar todiscerning Londoners as the duo behindE8’s The Richmond, which reigned asthe city’s It-restaurant when it openedin 2015. (Australian-born Redman alsoowns the much-loved Elliot’s, in BoroughMarket, and Japanese yakitori restaurantJidori.) They’re busy converting their loyalclientele – many of whom recall Saturday-night lock-ins at the Hackney venue- to Neptune, which officially openedat the end of May. Occupying a spacein the palatial Principal, the terracotta-clad hotel that has just undergone ano-expense-spared renovation, it’s setto become the hotspot of the summer. The pair spotted the potential ofthis underserviced pocket of Londontwo years ago. Bloomsbury was cryingout for an all-day hangout. Neptunecomprises a brasserie-style restaurantand walk-in bar, where you can choosea glass of wine from a list assembled bynatural-wine expert Isabelle Legeron.Then there’s the oyster bar, packed withseafood from Cornwall (Redman founda man who delivers on the same day,packing the day-boat catches on to thetrain to London) – and if you’d like chipswith that, by all means. “There are norules,” says Redman. You’d be mad toignore the seafood platter, though, whichis the (surprisingly affordable) hit dishon the menu. Langoustine comes witha classic Marie Rose sauce that’sthickened with Japanese mentaiko; hard-shell clams, briny and salty, are servedin a Mexican-style aguachile dressing.And to wash it all down? Absinthe. It’sback, apparently, albeit in “natural” form.Crow and Redman have an enviablystylish gang packing out the pistachio-green seating – from Christopher Kaneto model Naomi Shimada, and a coterieof Vogue editors. Craig & Karl designedthe logo, which has a psychedelic 1970svibe. “And they’ve made stickers youcan take home – much more fun thana business card,” says Crow. GeoffreyFinch, founder of label Blouse, designedthe staff uniforms. Samantha Lim,Redman’s effervescent events-managerwife, is spearheading link-ups withgallerists Hannah Berry and fashiondesigner Molly Goddard, both of whomare hosting parties here, while curatorAntonia Marsh is switching the artevery three months. Painter GeorgeRouy headlines for now, with a joyfulunder-the-sea theme.All the elements add up to a bistrothat feels like a particularly decadentdinner party. The good news: it’s opentill 2am. Ever better: Crow is keen toresurrect those Richmond lock-ins. “Wejust want it to feel like a house party,”she smiles. “We’re up for anything.” Q``````Neptune’stake ona Sazeracis robustenough totransformyour evening``````Far left: Neptune’sSamantha Lim,Antonia Marsh,Margaret Crow,Brett Redman andGeoffrey Finch.Left and below: therestaurant’s interior.Hair: Diana Moar.Make-up: YaePascoe. Stylist:Gianluca LongoLIVINGFROM LEFT: SAMANTHA WEARS DRESS, MISSONI. SHOES, GIVENCHY. NECKLACE, TORY BURCH. ANTONIA WEARS SHIRT, BOSS.TROUSERS, ISABEL MARANT. EARRINGS, GIVENCHY. MARGARET WEARS DRESS, MIU MIU. SHO``````ES, AQUAZZURA. EARRINGS, UNCOMMON``````MATTERS. BRETT WEARS TROUSERS, AMI. HI-TOPS, CONVERSE X JW ANDERSON. GEOFFREY``````WEARS SHIRT, BLOUSE. JEANS, GIVENCHY