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This week, we seem to be all about dining, from Nuno’s Porto restaurants to a Mykonos transfer, and a Noma pop in Japan up that has tickets going on sale today. If you, too, plan where to go based on largely where you want to eat, then this issue will be for you. Have great weeks all.
xx Taryn and Team UJ xx
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 | |  | | | Belmond Eastern and Orient Express | | Rave Trains | | All aboard! | | | We recently noticed a fun rave train (a partnership between Red Bull and Brightline, the same train company that’s going to launch a new luxe route from LA to Las Vegas in 2028) pulling out of Orlando on its way to Miami Music Week for a one-off event, which looked like a very good time. Over in Germany there’s the Techno Train, launched by club Haus 33, which runs twice a year and looks like a full-on rave on the move. On the luxe end, we’re hoping that Belmond’s Eastern and Oriental Express train, which just re-launched this Feb, might have a little fiesta up their sleeves. And lastly, news just in that there’s a train potentially in the works that would go from Spain to Morocco in under six hours. Maybe an underwater rave train could be on the horizon, too.
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|  | |  | | | Creative Drinks | | G&T who | | | Maybe it was reading about the new Pinnacle Guide, basically a Michelin-style guide to bars, that got us thinking about creative drinks, but they’ve really been popping up everywhere recently. Today, we’re going to focus on drinks with something pickled in them, and no, we’re not talking about picklebacks. At Seed Library, order a Time Travel Apple Tini (Grey Goose, past, present and future apple, malted vermouth), and you’ll get a pickled apple garnish. At Three Sheets Soho, try their Pickled Mango Iced Tea, and at Nipperkin, awarded two pins by the Pinnacle Guide, there’s a Garden drink with pickled cucumber (look at their whole inventive menu here). Pickles up!
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|  | |  | | | Product Picks Stripes | | We’ve got retro seaside hut vibes on the mind. | | | SHOP |
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| | |  | | | Epicurean Adventure, On Until 28 July | | Book now | | Sponsored Listing | | | As a reminder, new to London this year is The Great Murder Mystery, a multi-sensory production that brings the chilling tale, The Hound of The Baskervilles, to life around you. In addition to Dr. Watson and Sherlock Holmes on stage, there are sophisticated dining menus by Ashley Clark (ex-SmokeStak, Gordon Ramsay Group, Temper Soho), great drinks from a bespoke Victorian-inspired cocktail menu, singing, live music, and other surprises and antics. Weekends and VIP dining tickets are selling fast, so reserve your seat soon.
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|  | |  | | | Kolae, Oma, The Hero, Cloth | | Around Town | | To note | | Recently Opened
First, the recently opened. If you haven’t been already, get yourself immediately to Kolae in Borough, by the Som Saa team, for fiery plates of greens (for us, this was the hottest thing on the menu) and other small plates like dry curry of crispy pork belly with wild ginger, and stone bass, coconut, and southern curry paste in a banana leaf. Start outside, on the small table, for a drink in the sunshine, then move in to dine at the counter or at a table. Don’t leave without a cocktail like the Rum Sticky Rice, or a Thai Herb and Salak Gin Sour.
Also in Borough, we’ve mentioned this before, but we’re hearing GREAT things about Oma and Agora, the Greek-style two-in-one restaurant by David Carter of Manteca. Other notable openings include the atmospheric Cloth by the Barbican, which they say is a modern take on trusted classics (hear, hear); and The Hero, by the Pelican family, have quietly opened in Maida Vale, offering more of the same – stripped-back interiors and a ground-floor pub, with a more grown-up, white tablecloth-clad dining room upstairs.
Coming Soon
The Counter Soho and Under the Counter, sister to The Counter on Golborne Road, is launching on Kingly Street this week, bringing their Aegean flavours to Soho. The Dining Rooms at The Goring is relaunching on the 20th, promising trolleys, flambés, and ‘tableside delights’, which sounds about right. Finally, news just in that award-winning restaurateur Samyukta Nair is launching another KOYN, but this time she’s partnered with Bangkok-born chef Rose Chalala Singh to open a Thai version. KOYN Thai will open below KOYN Japanese on 16 June.
Coming this Summer
Holy Carrot has found a permanent six–seater home on Portobello Road, and will focus on fire and ferments, led by ACME Fire Cult’s Daniel Watkins. Over in the City, Ibai will be a Basque steak restaurant, which sounds interesting, helmed by chef Richard Forester (ex-Chiltern) and the owners of Txuleta, who supply the best Galacian meat to London restaurants. There will also be king crab rice, tuna T-bones, and mature vintages from Basque wine producers; it’s the opening we didn’t know we needed!
Spotlight
Did you know that at Passione Vino, they’ll open anything you want, for a glass? Neither did we: see you there tonight!
Pop Ups, Events, Ltd Edition
Bubbledogs – a long-time UJ fave – is back as a pop up, this time at 45 Park Lane; get in quick for Wagyu dogs and tater tots. The Dover (heard of it?) is launching a monthly Sunday Lunch Club this Sunday, where their atmospheric dining room will welcome friends and families for a lunch that includes Italian-style everything, accompanied by a soundtrack of vinyl classics; this (unsurprisingly) sounds like the best Sunday lunch offering we’ve seen in ages. If you’re a rosé fan, wine brand Minuty is popping up at Rosewood London’s terrace as Villa Minuty, with two bookable vineyard feasts on 29 June and 17 August, where a French Riviera-inspired menu will be paired with Minuty’s latest vintages. If you’re after a chic ‘n’ early dinner option, MiMi Mei Fair has an haute dim sum and Champagne menu from 5:30-6:30, including greats like a Canadian scallop dumpling basket, Sichuan Suffolk corn-fed chicken and cashew nuts, and olive fried rice. If you want a little dance with your dinner, Diplo is playing at Stereo‘s first birthday on 24 May, and lastly from 29 May-1 Sept, Seed Library is launching a partnership with Cavita; there’ll be a limited-edition cocktail by Seed (the C.R.E.A.M Margarita) and a Mexican menu by Cavita.
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|  | |  | | | La DoubleJ | | Light bright | | | We’ve been thinking about a little home update for summer and these look just about right!
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|  | |  | | | ABC | | The best of all, 1-2-3 | | | From one of our long-standing favourite NYC restaurants, abc kitchen, comes chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s abc kitchens in the new Emory hotel by the Maybourne Group – and it’s a beauty. The layout (who knew looking out onto the street could add such energy into a room?), the lighting, and the amber tones make for one chic, buzzy dining room. As for the menu, abc kitchens is a combination of the best of Jean-Georges’ three NYC restaurants (abc kitchen, abcV and abc cocina), so it’s a farm-to-table, plant-based, Latin-inspired mix, and it’s the kind of menu you could eat every day – which feels unique for an all-suite hotel. We’ll be back for the giant prawns with peppercorn and chilli, black truffle pizza with farm egg, and cucumber martinis.
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|  | |  | | | NEWS | | Kensington Roof Gardens | | | Kensington Roof Gardens are back and now called The Roof Gardens, and although it feels like there’s a new member’s bar every day, this one definitely seems to have legs. The flamingos have moved out and the creatives are moving in, and if their website is anything to go by, it seems like it’s going to be a stylish affair. The F&B offering (four restaurants) already sets it apart from many, and the garden spaces do, too. Now, if it’s actually fun… it’ll be a real hat trick.
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|  | |  | | | Cozinha das Flores and Flôr | | Nuno’s spots | | | Located in the heart of Porto, this is one bustling, modern venue. Duck egg blue tiles outside set the tone for an elegant yet relaxed, contemporary dining experience, just as you’d expect from Mr Mendes. There’s a lot about Cozinha that reminds us of Nuno’s Loft days: open kitchen, pans around, and chatter, but this time, it’s definitely elevated. The cooking here focuses on northern Portugal with an innovative twist – think menu items like Turnip Natas with caviar, which turns the Portugese much-loved pastry, pastel de nata, into something savoury and new. The wines are largely from northern Portugal too, with several natural options. Everything on this menu has meaning to Nuno and you can tell that this is a very personal offering. The dining room is centred around the wood-fired grill, and there’s a warmth and theatricality that runs throughout; add to this the friendly atmosphere and you have an all-round fun, epicurean good time. Plus, next door is Flôr, his bakery by day, bar by night. If you need an excuse to spend some time in Porto, need we say more?
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| | |  | | | Camden Film Quarter | | New creative neighbourhood | | | We thought this was interesting. Yoo Capital, who are behind some of London’s most iconic neighbourhood transformations (they are currently working on transforming Olympia, and raised £1.3bn to do so), have secured several expert partnerships to help realise the vision for a Camden Film Quarter, a world-class destination for film, television and digital content. Feels right!
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|  | |  | | | Kato | | One to Watch | | | Supposedly, there hasn’t been an LA restaurant on the World’s Best Restaurant list in over a decade, so good news for Kato, who have just been given Resy’s One to Watch award. The owners say the restaurant is representative of SoCal as a region, and is ‘Taiwanese- inspired, presented as fine dining on a level that’s comforting and thrilling.’ Sign. Us. Up.
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|  | | | Loire Valley Lodges | | Tree tops | | | Need some fresh air? Just an hour from Paris, Loire Valley Lodges is an adults only treehouse hotel on 300 acres of forest where, importantly, they invite you to unplug and relax. To help you with this, there’s no WiFi in the lodges (although the main house has it), as well as cycling, wild swimming, and in-room massages. They also have two restaurants, including Asperatus, which hosts a rotating residency of great chefs, and rooms have decks with dining tables, hot tubs, and views.
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|  | |  | | | La Petite Maison | | In the heart of Mykonos town | | | The Tomatini is on the move – this time opening in Mykonos on 20 June, in the new Anandes Hotel. LPM classics like warm prawns, escargot, and cheesecake will be heading over with them to accompany the panoramic views of the Aegean Sea and MYK town. The restaurant is open to the public at night.
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|  | |  | | | Noma at Ace Hotel | | Fingers at the ready | | | Well, that’s an interesting combo. For the second time, Noma will be collaborating with Ace Kyoto, this time from 8 October-18 December. The menu will be a journey into the flavours of Kyoto’s harvest season, and the package includes an overnight stay at Ace Kyoto (of course) and dinner for two. Tickets go on sale today at midday.
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| | |  | | | Luna Luna | | Merry-go-round | | | So this has (JUST) closed, but we think it’s still worth mentioning as it definitely looked great. An art amusement park that started in Hamburg 36 years ago, Luna Luna recently popped up as a showcase in LA, with rides by artists like Keith Haring, Basquiat, and David Hockney. We’re hoping the 44 shipping containers of good vibes will make its way to the UK soon.
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|  | |  | | | Jacquemus | | New | | | Over in St. Tropez, Jacquemus have just opened a new boutique, restaurant and beach pop up. These branded seasonal activations done right are a little slice of summer joy.
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|  | |  | | | Grand Hotel Central BCN | | Refurb | | | We’ve always liked this hotel. It has a great rooftop, and the area, on the cusp of Borne, is perfect – but it needed a refurb. So good news that under new ownership, it’s had one, and now also has a restaurant on the roof, and, by June, a streetside tapas restaurant, Can Bo, too.
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|  | | | LVMH | | Monopoly | | | Another interesting one on the real estate tip: LVMH is getting more involved in property, and is hoping to do to the Champs Elysées what it did for Miami’s Design District, reinvigorating areas by blending retail with culture and hospitality. If you’re in Paris for the Olympics (they’re the premium sponsor, of course), they’ve also organised a cultural path across their key retail locations.
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|  | |  | | | ReSelfridges | | Recycle, Repair | | Options | | | As part of Selfridges’ new RESELFRIDGES destination in the newly expanded Accessories Hall, in addition to pre-owned accessories and archive pieces for sale, they’ll also have a repair, resale, and customisation service. Also on the repair front, the Clothes Doctor will help you resuscitate old wares – simply upload a photo to get a quote, send your items in, and they’ll deliver them back once finished.
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|  | |  | | | | Gucci Cruise 2025 show at the Tate Modern.
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