Meet the chef: Nico Simeone of Six by Nico
Meet the man behind the six-weekly changing menus at Six by Nico, each inspired by an ever-evolving theme, destination, or concept
Known for his imaginative and theatrical approach to cooking, as well as the six-weekly changing menus at his multiple Six by Nico outposts, Nico Simeone has always been inspired by his Italian heritage, which has provided the perfect backdrop for his culinary flair.
Born and raised in Glasgow, Simeone’s early career included stretches at Michelin-starred Number One at Balmoral, as well as winning the Young Scottish Seafood Chef of the Year award. He also worked closely with the team at Brian Maule’s acclaimed Chardon d’Or, which inspired him to launch his own restaurant. Starting with 111 by Nico (now 111 by Modou), his dream was to launch a unique but affordable fine-dining experience whilst simultaneously offering an apprenticeship programme.
This ambition would eventually evolve into Six by Nico, which currently boasts ten restaurants across the UK and Ireland, including in London – Fitzrovia and Canary Wharf. The concept is simple: every six weeks a new themed six-course tasting menu is revealed. Diners can find out what dishes they’re in for by checking the menu online before visiting but tables book so far in advance you’re likely in for surprise.
Currently captivating diners with the flavours of Southern Spain is Catalonia – a menu celebrating the culture and foodie influences of the sun-drenched city of Barcelona. Among the dishes on offer is an ode to the architecture of Gaudí as expressed by chicken arrollado, Hen of the Woods mushrooms, and black garlic, a love letter to the famed El Bulli restaurant rendered in pa amb tomàquet and heritage tomato.
We sit down with Simeone to talk his endless creativity, the evolution of his dining concept and why he believes fine dining should be for everyone.
Patates Braves
El Bulli 1984 – 2011
To be honest, nothing. It was a route for me to get out of school early and I was lucky enough to fall in love with it. I left school at 17 or 18 and went to a restaurant called La Parmigiana before moving on to the now-closed fine dining establishment Brian Maule at Le Chardon D’or in Glasgow.
My nonna’s sugo! This is the first dish that really made me think about the food I was eating and how it had been created. Although growing up my favourite dish has to be my nonna’s cannelloni. I can’t really remember the first dish I ever tried to cook myself, but it was probably spaghetti bolognese.
It wouldn’t have been a career defining meal per se, but a moment. It must be the rebrand to 111 by Nico, when I first served a tasting menu. But the highlight of my career so far was when we realised that, actually, the creation of Six by Nico worked. A lot of people advised me against the concept and said that it wasn’t a good idea.
The inspiration came from piecing together the learnings from my career as a chef. Why do tasting menus have to be so expensive? Why can’t they be more accessible? Why do people cook one style of cuisine? Why can the thought or inspiration not change more often? Why does it have to be influenced by seasons? Why not memories and destinations? I guess the inspiration was asking ‘why?’ It all started with what we thought was the perfect time to reinvent ourselves. Six weeks felt right, so I trusted my gut.
It really comes from a creative seed. Me, Andy, our CCO, Michael, our CMO, and our marketing team will all have a big meeting where we just throw names and ideas into the mix: from locations to memories or concepts. Everyone is so individually creative and it’s important for everyone to collaborate and enhance each word that is spoken. Just one creative seed can create an entire menu — it’s special seeing everyone work together to align.
From 25 September, our new menu will be inspired by Catalonia. I have always admired the rich culinary heritage of this region, so it’s been fantastic to bring it to life as part of this latest tasting adventure. Each dish celebrates Catalonian cuisine, taking diners on an unforgettable journey to the coastal towns and sweeping beaches, celebrating the area’s culture and heritage. We will be paying homage to the classic dishes and cooking techniques, but also its most prolific figures, from artists, to architects and fellow chefs.
Iconic dishes include an amuse bouche of patatas bravas, a first starter celebrating Gaudí of chicken arrollado, hen of the woods, black garlic, hazelnut pesto, bergamot, lovage and mustactel, which moves onto the second starter, named El Bulli in honour of the famous restaurant and chef Ferran Adrià, which is a pan con tomate with heirloom tomato, extra virgin olive oil and smoked salt.
For the fish course, we have arroz negro – the classic rice dish typical of the region with black pollock, pickled mussel, black rice cake, saffron emulsion, courgette, and shellfish cappuccino, and for the main course, pork barbacoa, featuring the belly and cheek of pork, sobrasada, white bean ragú and red pepper esquitxat. Plus, a crema Catalan of burnt vanilla crème, poached prune and honey and fennel seed to finish.
That’s a hard question! For restaurants, I think we will see more storytelling and experience-led concepts, which in turn evoke feelings of nostalgia.
Arròs Negre
Crema Catalana
I think it has to be the huge selection of restaurants and cuisines available. You can find creative food on every corner. The Glasgow food scene is relatively small, but it’s great to see it evolving. There are loads of up-and-coming restaurants that are worth traveling to. 111 by Modou, by my good friend Modou Diagne, got some rave reviews in The Times and The Guardian recently. London, of course, has a huge population so the restaurants here welcome locals and tourists alike. It’s pretty cool to know that guests are joining us from all over the world.
I have seen lots of chefs building a strong social media presence in recent years and I think this is something that will become even more important going forward. Being able to communicate the story of a restaurant’s food straight to a guest can be very powerful.
Surround yourself with good people and just go for it.
Visit sixbynico.co.uk
