Restaurant Radar: August 2022

Mriya​
Prominent Ukrainian chef Yurii Kovryzhenko and his partner Olga Tsybytovska are to launch a 'neo-bistro' on Brompton Road in London's Chelsea this month. Called Mriya, which translates to mean 'dream' in Ukrainian, the restaurant will specialise in modern Ukrainian cuisine and be staffed by Ukrainian refugees who fled the country following the Russian invasion earlier this year. The menu will include classic dishes including Kovryzhenko's take on borsch and chicken Kyiv, as well as the chef's variations on local Ukrainian vegetables and foods like courgette pancakes with stracciatella; and smoked trout and vinaigrette with strawberries on green pea cream with crayfish necks.
275 Old Brompton Road, London SW5 9JA​

The Suffolk​
L’Escargot Sur-Mer, the seaside offshoot of London institution L’Escargot that launched in Aldeburgh during he pandemic, is to reopen this month as a permanent venture called The Suffolk. Following a refurbishment of the historic townhouse on Aldeburgh High Street that housed the L’Escargot Sur-Mer pop up, The Suffolk will launch with a 60-cover restaurant named Sur-Mer; a rooftop terrace overlooking the sea; a bar; and two private dining rooms holding 12 and 24 seats, respectively. An additional six bedrooms will open in September. Suffolk-born chef James Jay, who joined the team in March 2022 to run the Sur-Mer pop up at New Street Market in Woodbridge with Pell, will lead the kitchen, serving a seafood-focused menu that will champion local producers including Pinneys of Orford and Fen Farm Dairy. The wine list will feature mainly French wines starting at £24 for a bottle and £6 for a glass, while the cocktail menu will serve a handful of classical favourites including The Suffolk’s Coastal Martini in partnership with local distillery Fishers.
the-suffolk.co.uk​​

Tutto​

Brighton-centric restaurateur Raz Helalat has recruited ex-Café Murano and Padella chef Mirella Pau to help him launch an Italian restaurant close to the seaside resort's North Laine area. Expected to open later this month, Tutto will be set in a ‘beautifully-restored’ 1930s former bank on Marlborough Place and will be inspired by ‘traditional Italian dining culture’ aiming to ‘bring together all of its best elements, focusing on simple quality and the Italian experience in equal measure’. Menu details have yet to be released but there will be a focus on sharing and ‘simple, seasonal ingredients’. Open all-day, the restaurant will have 80-covers inside plus an additional 34 covers outside.
20 - 22 Marlborough Pl, Brighton BN1 1UB​
tutto-restaurant.co.uk​​

Sessions​

Sessions, the group behind Brighton’s Shelter Hall food hall, is heading to London with the opening of a smaller venue in Islington. The new food hall, called Sessions, will feature four concepts that will serve menus for a limited time with a rotating line-up of chefs planned. Opening on 11 August on the former Rodizio Rico site on Islington’s Upper Street, the debut line-up features chefs Hasan Semay, Jay Morjaria, Zoe Adjonyoh, and Richie Hayes and Elliot Kaye who will be bringing their respective concepts Big Has, Tiger and Rabbit, Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen, and Norman’s to the venue.~
77 Upper Street, London N1 0NU​
sessionsmarket.co.uk/venues/islington​​

Sète​

Barletta founders Natalia Ribbe and Jackson Berg will open a wine bar and restaurant in Margate's Cliftonville area this month. Called Sète, it will be the pair's first permanent venture and is inspired by the intimate wine bars of Paris and the South coast of France. Housed in a former jewellery shop, the Northdown Road site will launch in stages with the wine bar element expected to open in July followed by the restaurant in October. The wine bar will have 20 covers inside and 20 covers outside on the pavement, and serve a small plates menu that includes potted smoked prawn and brown crab butter with bread; and œuf mayonnaise. The restaurant is expected to have around 40 covers served via an open kitchen. The pair are also exploring the possibility of extending into the site's south-facing garden.
238 Northdown Road, Cliftonville, Margate CT9 2QD​

Matsudai Ramen​
Cardiff noodle vendor Matsudai Ramen will open its first bricks and mortar restaurant in early August, which it says will be Wales’ first ramen shop. The 70-cover Matsudai Ramen at the Bank will open in a former Natwest bank site in Grangetown, Cardiff, on 6 August following a five-month refurbishment of the site. It will serve a range of ramens that will change with the seasons alongside side dishes such as its signature karaage chicken and mushrooms. Matsudai Ramen was launched by founder James Chant in late 2019 doing pop-up events and has since taken over kitchens in London, Manchester and Bristol, including taking over the kitchen of the British Film Institute in Soho for a month.
183-185 Clare Rd, Cardiff CF11 6QS​
matsudai.co.uk​​

Feels Like June​​

California-inspired restaurant Feels Like June will open at London’s Wood Wharf on 1 August. Part of the Ennismore collection, the restaurant will serve a Europe-meets-West Coast all-day food menu with breakfast options including croissants, pistachio and almond danishes, pastrami and mustard buns; glazed cinnamon buns; house-made granola; and a breakfast burrito. Lunchtime dishes will comprise small plates including a twist on the US favourite, tater tots, with a cacio e pepe filling and served with a pecorino aioli and large dishes, such as Caesar schnitzel with anchovies and tossed salad; a double smash burger with cheddar, pickles, caramelised onion and fries; and a shrimp taco with tarragon and old bay served in a parker house roll. Its wine list will nod to the West Coast, featuring bottles from the Golden State valleys, with a range of lagers and IPAs also from the US.
15 Water Street, London E14 9SB​​
feelslikejune.com​​​