What: A neighbourhood-style wine bar, restaurant and music venue that’s launched on Golborne Road, just off London’s Portobello. Named after the Roman goddess of fire, Caia has an emphasis on open fire cooking using a custom-made grill.
Who: Caia is a new venture from Notting Hill locals Rishabh Vir and Tim Lang. It’s their second project in a year, the pair having worked with chef Chris Denney to launch Fiend on nearby Portobello Road last autumn. Vir, who trained at Le Cordon Bleu, has previously worked in the kitchen at Heston Blumenthal's three Michelin-starred The Fat Duck in Bray and popular Thai grill restaurant Kiln in London’s Soho; while Lang most notably worked for street food powerhouse, Street Feast, first opening Giant Robot in Canary Wharf and then taking the reins at Dinerama in Shoreditch where he grew into his role as the operations manager for the group. For Caia, Vir and Lang have brought in Canadian-born chef Jessica Donovan, previously of The Pem, to run the kitchen.
The food: Donovan’s grill-based menu takes influences from across the globe, with Mediterranean, Jamaican and Asian flavours all perceptible. The menu is split between snacks and small and large plates, with prices starting at £4 or £5 and topping out at under £20. Snacks include crispy chicken skin with preserved lemon and nori; and a black pepper and garlic focaccia that’s served sliced having been toasted on the grill. Smaller plates include burrata with jerk peas; Cuore del Vesuvio tomatoes with sun sweet melon and topped with Spenwood; and mussels with charred spring greens, lovage and dashi. Larger dishes, meanwhile, feature octopus with burnt pepper and nduja crumb; monkfish with sweet corn; and bavette with Catalogna chicory and pickled wild garlic.
The drink: Caia’s wine list has been put together by wine expert Beth Brickenden, and combines unfamiliar options like the Painter of Light Chardonnay from local Battersea winery Black Book with more familiar labels such as Querciabella’s Camartina and Domaine Martin’s Château Gloria. A wide offering of aperitivo and digestivo cocktails also features and includes a signature ‘Mi-To’, which combines Campari with sweet vermouth.
The vibe: Caia’s smart appearance is designed to appeal to a broad church, with table and bar seating available across the site’s ground floor and basement levels. The basement also features more relaxed and informal lounge seating for groups. Additionally, Caia also holds an intimate wine room with space for 10 seats.
And another thing: Pulling much of the focus in Caia’s basement space is a huge Kuzma R record player with Auditorium R-25 A speakers designed by Living Voice founder Kevin Scott. Lang has created an opening line-up of takeovers and residencies from some of London’s leading DJ’s, record stores, label owners and producers, inviting them to take over the decks, with the likes of Rough Trade Records, Heavenly Recordings and Phonica Records set to make regular appearances.
46 Golborne Rd, London W10 5PR
