Korus
BEIRUT
Where We’re Eating
Come for the warm space, stay for the tempura. Open daily 12:30-4pm, 7-11:30pm. Monnot Street, Ashrafieh, koruslounge.com Korus Lounge is fine dining in a spectacular setting. The restaurant offers an exciting blend of Italian and Japanese cuisine, which presupposes – and I can’t stress this enough – ordering off both menus. Start with the popcorn crab and black cod miso, and be sure to try the shrimp tempura, a Japanese classic, while you’re at it. The entire experience is best paired with white wine, of which Korus has plenty. But don’t put down your fork just yet: sample the delicious risotto con zucca e tartufo nero (risotto pumpkin and black truffle) first, and end the evening with a zesty lemon tart and another glass of white wine. – Rayane Abou Jaoude
Open daily 12-2:30pm, 6-10:30pm. 30 Upper Grosvenor Street It’s one the most anticipated restaurant debuts of the year. Rüya, which originally opened in Dubai, is launching a new outpost in London this June, with a menu focused on contemporary Anatolian cuisine. Under the helm of chef Colin Clague – a Zuma alum – the restaurant serves dishes from a region that stretches from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea, including such specials as 24-hour slow-cooked short rib with Turkish chili barbecue glaze and spiced Konya chickpea purée, and Zeytinyagli ahtapot, which is marinated and grilled octopus with black-eyed beans and apple vinaigrette. Rüya is inspired by restaurateur Umut Özkanca’s Istanbul heritage. “We have taken authentic traditions, which I retain a deep personal connection to, and interpreted modern details for the sophisticated London audience,” says Özkanca. The inventive drinks menu includes a great selection of raki, the anise-flavored alcoholic drink that captures Turkey’s indomitable spirit. – Niku Kasmai
Korus, Rüya
Rüya
LONDON
240
