NIMA SAFEI TO OPEN SISTER RESTAURANT TO 40 DEAN STREET

Nima Safei is to launch a sister site to his popular 40 Dean Street restaurant in London’s Soho next month.

The restaurateur will open 64 Old Compton Street on 3 July, almost 15 years after the launch of his original site.

It is billed as offering an “affordable” Italian menu, with main courses ranging from £13.90 to £21.50.

Safei launched 40 Dean Street in 2009 but said the popularity of the restaurant meant it frequently had to turn people away.

The new restaurant will be only a few minutes’ walk away and feature a bold red fascia with a gold and black logo reminiscent of famous New York nightclub Studio 54.

The dining room will be painted dark blue, filled with antiques and half hidden from view by a café curtain.

Dishes will include pizza ‘nduja with sausage meat and buffalo mozzarella; linguine tiger prawns, courgettes, garlic, chillies, and white wine; and Chicken Milanese with spaghetti tomato and basil sauce, rocket, and lemon.

Cocktails will range in price from £10.50 to £12 and a short Italian and French wine list will start from £24.10 with all bottles under £50.

64 Old Compton Street is proudly gay-owned and Safei said he was excited to be opening around the time of LGBTQ+ Pride in London.

Safei said: “Since 2009 the wonderful people of Soho have taken 40 Dean Street to their hearts and many treat it like an extension of their home, office or hotel. But we were having to turn too many people away, so opening 64 Old Compton Street literally round the corner felt like the perfect solution.

“Despite their close proximity, they’re very much their own restaurants with their own personalities – 40 is the older gay brother who’s been around for a while and knows where the party’s at, while 64 is the cool lesbian sister who’s new on the scene but intends to make her presence felt. I hope people will love them equally!”

64 Old Compton Street will launch on 3 July and will be open from 12pm until 11.30pm, seven days a week.

From Dublin to Dalston: Jameson Black Barrel launches whiskeypairing menu with Acme Fire

Cult and Michelin-starred Irish chef Keelan Higgs

Acme Fire Cult – London’s most progressive live-fire restaurant –has partnered with Jameson Black Barrel to launch its first whiskeypairing menu.

Available from July 1st, this co-crafted celebration of fire, food and whiskey features four dishes and three cocktails, inspired by the Black Barrel spirit from the Jameson family – a unique blended whiskey, aged in double charred barrels for a sweeter, smoother flavour.

The menu is a collaboration between live-fire chefs, Andrew Clarke, Chef and Founder of Dalston’s Acme Fire Cult, and Keelan Higgs, owner and Head Chef at Dublin’s Michelin-starred Variety Jones.

“We’ve always tried to take a distinct approach to cooking over flames, where vegetables take centre stage, and where food and drink are intrinsically linked” said Andrew Clarke. “Most restaurants will do a wine pairing but for us, the opportunity to combine charred food with the depth and range of flavours in a double charred whiskey just made sense. We’re excited for people to experience what we’ve created”

Keelan Higgs – who is based in Jameson’s native city of Dublin – joined the project to bring Irish flavours to the food, as well as the drinks.

Every element of the menu is touched by fire, unlocking flavours in the cocktails as well as the food; Jameson Black Barrel is matured in a combination of double charred barrels, creating a full strength whiskey bursting with aromas of toffee and fudge, complemented by a spicy character and a rich, smooth vanilla finish.