The latest restaurant news from across the Capital
NEW OPENING
Basque Brilliance
Exciting news for steak fans: head chef Richard Foster, formerly of Chiltern Firehouse, and Nemanja Borjanovic and William Sheard of Txuleta, renowned meat supplier to some of the UK’s best restaurants and butchers, have just opened a brand-new restaurant. Set a stone’s throw from St. Paul’s, Ibai celebrates Basque cuisine, with the menu introducing new dishes from the French region that include guisante lagrima (teardrop peas), king crab rice, boudin blanc black pudding, tuna T bone and Aldabia corn fed chicken. Complementing the food, the wine list champions Basque producers, offering mature vintages of sought after classics such as Vega Sicilia and López de Heredia. It is all excellent, but the particular focus here is on steak – and thanks to the partnership with Txuleta – from sourcing, butchery and ageing, to delivery, prep, grilling and serving, Ibai boasts full control of the supply chain, giving farm to table a whole new meaning. And an exciting and pioneering project running in parallel with the restaurant will see the launch of the first UK reared Galician Blond herd on a smallholding at the Gorhambury Estate in St. Albans (20 miles from the restaurant). Nemanja’s aim is to successfully breed the Galician Blond breed on British soil with the view to being able to supply Ibai in the near future. Truly a cut above.
90 Bartholomew Close, EC1 (020 4597 3821; ibai.london)
POP-UP
A taste of Turkey
Multi-award-winning north London Turkish eatery Skewd is popping up at The Grove this summer, in an exciting new culinary collaboration. Located within the charming setting of the Potting Shed in the luxury hotel’s Walled Garden, the summer takeover promises to bring something entirely new to The Grove with Skewd’s innovative take on Anatolian cuisine, cooked over an open fire. Expect a fusion of Turkish, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes, crafted with locally sourced ingredients and infused with bold flavours and spices. Skewd’s signature kebab dishes include succulent lamb shish, Adana, and Veli Nazik, enriched with the smokey essence of British woodland coal. Meanwhile, an ‘Across the Sea’ selection includes dishes like octopus with hand-cut chips. A selection of hot and cold mezes and delectable vegetarian dishes will also be available. Skewd at The Grove is available to hotel residents and members for lunch and is open to all for dinner service. Holiday vibes guaranteed. Lunch served Monday to Friday and dinner daily in the Potting Shed, until September 22.
For details and to book, see thegrove.co.uk
COCKTAILS
Summer sipping
The iconic Ham Yard Hotel is ten years old, and to celebrate, the team at Ham Yard Bar are proud to launch a new cocktail menu, ‘Stories of Soho’. Celebrating the hotel’s eclectic neighbourhood, each drink draws inspiration from either a local landmark or a famous fi gure who has graced the streets over the years. Bar Manager Riccardo Lupacchini, says: “I have always been in awe of the many people and places that have made Soho what it is today. With our new menu, I have tried to distil some of this history into 10 cocktails. We hope our guests will enjoy the drinks just as much as we have enjoyed creating them.” Highlights include ‘Un Corretto’, which evokes the essence of Soho’s lively café culture, featuring a homemade coffee-cherry infusion and Bourbon based milk punch, garnished with a brandy-soaked white chocolate cherry. Meanwhile, ‘Blushed Tomato’ is an ode to Berwick Street Market, where tomatoes were first introduced to the UK. This delicious savoury cocktail is a sophisticated take on the well-loved Bloody Mary, made with clarified gazpacho, Pod Pea Vodka, pickle juice and ancho chilli. Not to be missed.
1 Ham Yard, W1D (firmdalehotels.com)
