A new restaurant has opened in Stokey, bringing a European menu with Mediterranean influences to the High Street.

It’s called Moio, and is a joint venture from head chef Joao Ferreira Pinto and wine expert Carolina W. Seibel. The duo, who are from Portugal and Sweden respectively, took the decision to launch their own venue after working together at the Michelin-starred Portland restaurant in Marylebone.

Moio has space for just 35 guests and promises good food accompanied with carefully matched wine. Highlights from the sharing menu, which will change regularly, include Portuguese morcella with smoked plum, pig trotters fricassee with skinny fries and rosemary crème brûlée.

“Joao and I have worked together previously, and we have the same view of what a restaurant should be like,” says sommelier Carolina.

“We want to offer good food, good wine, and an atmosphere where people can communicate with each other.

“Joao lives close by in Canonbury, and from my experience of this area I really like it. Stoke Newington is like a little neighbourhood – almost like its own village – and on Saturday mornings everybody is out and it’s very friendly. It’s a tight-knit community and that’s one of the reasons we chose here. We don’t want to be some anonymous restaurant in an anonymous area.”

Open for dinner Tuesday to Saturdays, 6pm to 11.30pm, Moio is on the site of the former Rustic Twist.

“We were joking about opening our own place this time last year, then we kind of discussed it a bit more and by the summer we had decided to go for it,” she adds.

“Coming to Moio doesn’t have to be for a special occasion – we want to be a restaurant that, if people don’t want to cook for the evening, we are a good option to just swing by.”

Moio’s sample menu also features plates like razor clams with passion fruit ceviche and pastrami slab with smoked garlic puree, although less is known about the wine list right now.

When asked what kind of wine offering Carolina hopes to offer at Moio, she responds with “a dynamic one.”

“I don’t want to narrow myself down to a certain grape variety or origin, I want wines that have a good story and go nicely with the food. Menus will change seasonally and we want to get as much local produce in as possible.”

Moio is now open at 188 Stoke Newington High Street, N16 7JD. You can find more information here.