What: ZELA London
In a nutshell: Celebrity-owned fusion restaurant at the ME London in Aldwych
Summing it all up: Backed by A-list sports people and entertainers, this new restaurant opening at the ME London hotel in Aldwych fuses Mediterranean and Japanese influences.
The low-down
Aldwych mightn't be the first place in London you'd think of as an A-lister destination, but a new restaurant opening up at the ME London hotel there might change all that.
ZELA's paparazzi-drawing cachet comes with the restaurant owners' business partners. You may have heard of them - Cristiano Ronaldo, Enrique Iglesias, Rafael Nadal and Pau Gasol (OK, we had to look that last name up but he's a top NBA basketball player apparently).
The restaurant is owned by MABEL Hospitality a group which was founded by Spanish entrepreneurs Manuel Campos Guallar and Abel Matutes. They opened ZELA Ibiza last year and they also own the Spanish restaurant TATEL, which has sites in Madrid, Ibiza, and Miami and is just getting ready to open in Beverly Hills. The London branch will be taking over what was Cucina Asselina, next to STK.
So we've established the celeb credentials, but what about the food? That's in the hands of chef Ricardo Sanz who's come up with what he dubs Meppon cuisine; Japanese techniques and flavours applied to Mediterranean products and traditions. His Kabuki restaurant in Madrid does just that and has a Michelin star.
Here at ZELA that means sourcing fresh fish and seafood from the Mediterranean and serving it up in tatakis, tartars, sashimi, sushi, gyozas and tiraditos. Dishes you can expect to find include tiradito of scallops with Ibizan sobrasada and butterfish nigiri with white truffle. or maybe Iberico pork gyoza.
The drinks list takes a similar turn, so the bar staff will be pairing Asian and Mediterranean ingredients in drinks such as Santa Maria (sherry wine, homemade spice mix, tomato, basil) and Harakiri (sake, lime, egg white, shiso syrup).
More about ZELA London
Where is it? ME London, The Strand, London WC2R 1HA
When does it open? 1 October 2018
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @zelalondon
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