Latest news with #Fitzrovia
Times
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Times
Lupa restaurant review: a terrific trattoria from a White Lotus star
It was 1am when the chef Naz Hassan stumbled home from the Christmas party at Carousel in Fitzrovia, central London, where he was working temporarily. He woke his girlfriend and told her he was going to open a new restaurant with an actor. He recalls her groggy reply: 'Go to sleep. You're drunk, you're dreaming. Forget about it.' Now he has done exactly that, launching a neighbourhood Roman osteria with Theo James, the handsome 40-year-old Brit you'll have seen in The Gentlemen, The White Lotus, The Time Traveler's Wife or the Divergent trilogy. It's a sweltering day when I first visit Lupa, a few days before the opening. All the doors and windows are open and people wander past, gawping at James, who's hiding under a baseball cap. But others are leaning their heads too: a local gossiping about the fact this place used to be a shoe shop; a teenage girl in search of a waitressing job; a mourner from a funeral across the road, seeking a last-minute loan of a Bluetooth speaker. All this makes Lupa feel like a proper local restaurant — a far cry from the silver screen. Yet it's a well-trodden path from film to hospitality. James's director in The Gentlemen, Guy Ritchie, has a pub. But James has long yearned for his own place. 'I've always loved food, always loved restaurants,' he says. His chance came when his wife, Ruth, met a woman at a local baby group who happened to be married to Ed Templeton — an experienced restaurateur who runs Carousel. With their shared love of food (and of Rome) it wasn't long before the two men also became friends. They were having a drink in Templeton's garden when James mentioned that he'd always fancied opening an Italian. And now they have. Hassan was recruited at that Christmas party. 'Naz knows the history of every ingredient and the pathway to it,' James says proudly. When I return to eat a week or so later, the restaurant is packed. The famous face behind it clearly hasn't hurt publicity-wise. Lupa is small and simple: white walls, wooden tables. The only decorations on the walls are wine bottles and a couple of understated bits of modern art from the Jameses' living room. The food is pretty authentic but they've made the recipes a bit lighter to appease fragile London palates. Fried courgette flower stuffed with burrata is remarkably delicate. These often get mushy, but here the batter is light and firm. A salty anchovy sauce eliminates any greasy taste. Alongside we have tomato carpaccio with capers, lemon zest and fried breadcrumbs. These are riccio fiorentino tomatoes, Hassan explains with evangelical enthusiasm. He'll change the variety as we move through the season to ensure he always has the sweetest fruit. We take cured meats and squacquerone cheese — almost thick yoghurt — with deep-fried dough balls. Ask Hassan how he chose each meat — but only if you have two hours to spare. The kitchen is laughably tiny. You can see it through a gap in the wall, three chefs in a room the size of a wardrobe. But such delicious things keep emerging — perfectly al dente pasta, an amatriciana that's fresh and light, a deeply savoury pesto. That said, I'm not a fan of the carbonara. There's too much sauce, making the whole thing too rich. It tastes more Italian-American than Italian-Italian. Still, carbonara is a personal thing. Everyone has a slightly different, very insistent opinion on the true path. I'd have to fight off a thousand Italian grandmothers to defend mine. Finally, porchetta. It's remarkable — the sweetest, juiciest meat surrounded by astonishing crackling. Nobody else in London does porchetta this well. Templeton talks us round to tiramisu. Oh, go on then, and amaros for the table. The coffee in the tiramisu is old school, properly bitter, but the dish still sweet and comforting. 'We wanted to do a restaurant — although they will probably never come — that our kids would like to eat in,' James says. Something 'complex but also Roman comfort food'. He's hit the mark here.★★★★☆73 Highbury Park, London N5 1UA;
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
London arts centre to amplify global majority voices and ‘urgent questions'
A new London art institution aimed at promoting global majority voices wants to be a space for 'difficult, urgent questions' alongside civil debate, according to its founder, who claims freedom of expression is under threat. Ibraaz will open this coming October in Fitzrovia, central London, and Lina Lazaar wants the 10,000-square-foot Grade II-listed building to become a bastion for respectful debate without the 'aggression' seen in a lot of political discourse. It is funded by the Kamel Lazaar Foundation, the philanthropic organisation named after Lina's father, the Tunisian businessman who founded financial services group Swicorp before becoming a supporter of the arts in his home country. Lina Lazaar's father has long advocated for north African and Middle Eastern art, but Ibraaz, which began life as an online platform, will launch as a home for global majority art and artists. 'There has never been a greater need to create the conditions for genuine dialogue and a space for inquiry,' Lina Lazaar said. 'Freedom of expression is shrinking, in the press, on campuses and some institutions as well. I think we're living in a state of deep despair and inequalities. Having an additional space where people can tackle difficult, urgent, important questions in a way that is open, genuinely sincere and respectful, can only be a positive.' Its first exhibition will be Ibrahim Mahama's long-running, evolving work Parliament of Ghosts, which also appeared at the Manchester international festival in 2019 and features discarded objects from Mahama's west African homeland of Ghana. The Otolith Collective will create a 'library-in-residence', while the east London booksellers Burley Fisher will run Ibraaz's bookshop, which the Palestine festival of literature will initially curate. There will also be a talks programme. Lazaar says that recently some arts institutions and organisations have been uncomfortable hosting discussions or artists who have tackled weighty issues. Last February, the Barbican was criticised after it backed out of hosting a lecture series that included a talk about the Holocaust and allegations that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. Shortly afterwards, across the cultural landscape, there was outrage after Arts Council England warned that 'political statements' could break funding agreements, before U-turning. The Kamel Lazaar Foundation is one of many privately run arts institutions in Africa, alongside Fondation H in Madagascar, 32Bis in Tunisia, Fondation Zinsou in Benin and the Zeitz Mocaa in South Africa. Lazaar says not being beholden to public funds means Ibraaz can have more freedom to host challenging works or ideas. 'Those spaces have historically made institutions feel a little bit uncomfortable and we want to be able to exist at that edge of discomfort,' said Lazaar. 'That's the only way I believe that institution will be in a position to be consequential in shaping discourse.' Sign up to The Guide Get our weekly pop culture email, free in your inbox every Friday after newsletter promotion Ibraaz's home is 93 Mortimer Street, an address that has had many incarnations. It was a synagogue, the residence of Conservative politician Sir Robert Bateson Harvey, the London Galvanic hospital and the German Athenaeum – a cultural club for artists, musicians, and businessmen. Lazaar says she was 'uncomfortable' with the space at first. It was grand and symbolised an old world opulence, rooted in British history and wealth – the kind of place where the people Ibraaz is trying to attract wouldn't have been welcome. But she says she now thinks of Ibraaz opening in the heart of Fitzrovia as a chance to 'reclaim the space' and bring in 'marginalised' voices. As well as an arts programme, there will be a music offering and a 'café-in-residence' led by Tunisian chef Boutheina Ben Salem, which Lazaar says is a key part of 'cultural hospitality'. 'I genuinely believe that with real cultural hospitality and care you are able to rebuild environments where the most kind of pressing and controversial and difficult, complex, layered issues should and can be debated, but in a civil way.'
Irish Times
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Chishuru London restaurant review: This is the most exciting food I've eaten in years, and the head chef is Irish
Chishuru Address : 3 Great Titchfield Street, London W1W 8AX Telephone : N/A Cuisine : West African Website : Cost : €€€€ It's not often a tasting menu floors you – but Chishuru has been top of my London list for good reason. Adejoké Bakare made history as the first black female chef in the UK to win a Michelin star , which she got in 2024 – and her head chef is Christine Walsh from Tipperary. Walsh comes with real pedigree, having worked at Enda McEvoy and Sinead Meacle's Loam, Galway's Michelin-starred restaurant that was one of Ireland's most influential until it closed in 2022. She was subsequently the chef behind Éan . Her move to London is typical for Irish chefs keen to build skills – but here there's the thrill of working with spices rarely seen outside west Africa. Chishuru in Fitzrovia is Bakare's first permanent restaurant, built off a Brixton pop‑up she started in 2019. She was born in west Africa – not a generic 'Nigeria' but a region of kingdoms. Her father is Yoruba, her mother Igbo, and she grew up in a Hausa area. Those influences run through her food – Yoruba heat, Igbo spice and Hausa fire‑cooking. You don't need a primer on west African cooking to eat here. Bakare shows you – offering a sharp, modern take on overlapping traditions. The £105 (€123) tasting menu opens with a snack that sets the tone: a delicate tartlet of puréed celeriac, smoke and spice drifting out in a single, tight note. READ MORE Bakare isn't playing at concept. She cooks what she knows: Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa. Photograph: Harriet Langford Nothing looks familiar when it lands. Abàchà – a cassava salad – gives little away at first: shredded dried cassava over plantain ash, pickled daikon and a dressing of ehuru – African or Calabash nutmeg – for a lightly pungent lift. It's all about texture and control – a quiet smoke that doesn't swamp but lingers enough to let you know it's there. Then Ṃóínṃóín – a dish that wrecks your sense of what beans can do. A soft, steamed black‑eyed bean cake sits on a bean milk salsa with anchovy‑red pepper sauce, touched with a gentle funk. On top is a scallop and monkfish boudin blanc – classic technique, clever spice – and then you're hit with toast soaked in beef fat, rich with that aged tang you would normally find under a dry‑aged rib cap. We pass on the £68 wine flight and choose from a list that's short but serious – mostly Jura, Loire and Alsace, low‑intervention, fair prices, good by‑the‑glass options. A lightly chilled Brouilly – Domaine Crêt des Garanches (£47.50, about €56) – does everything you want with all this spice and depth. Chishuru's interior. Photograph: Harriet Langford The pepper soup is another highlight. It's more broth than soup – spiced with uziza peppers and finished with torched line‑caught mackerel. There's a clean heat – restrained but persistent – in a stock built from chicken, beef and fish bones, layered for depth without weight. Vegetables are sliced to near invisibility – radish, apple, maybe squash. It is, perhaps, the most intricate thing on the menu. [ Maneki restaurant review: A showy start gives way to a muddled menu Opens in new window ] Then the main courses; you get a choice, which is rare. We go for both the monkfish (mbongo tchobi) and the hogget (ayamase). The monkfish is poached, served with a blackened tomato and spice sauce that brings slow, earthy depth, balanced by pickled greens and confit plantain. There's heat, but it's measured. Slices of hogget leg and shoulder, pink and yielding, sit on a green pepper and irú stew – thick, savoury, tangled with fermented locust beans, crispy tripe and smoked lamb's tongue, all deepened with fat and a steady heat that grows as you eat. It's an unfiltered expression of technique and place. Dessert is egúsí ice cream – melon seed, usually found in stews – with meringue sponge, caramelised brittle and a soaked blackberry. It's refreshing and textural. The ice cream is subtly nutty, not too sweet, and the brittle has a delightful crack. It's a smart, well-judged finish. Chishuru calls itself 'modern west African', but that barely covers it. Bakare isn't playing at concept. There's no forced nostalgia or claim to purist authenticity. She cooks what she knows – Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa – with discipline learned outside the system, using ingredients hauled from Brixton or Dagenham when the big suppliers fall short. It's personal. This isn't one of those bloated tasting menus that lose the plot halfway through. It's lean, alive and narratively sharp – each plate knowing exactly when to stop. The €45 lunch is a steal – different dishes, same jolt of energy. Dinner is the full tilt; it's refined, original, and brilliantly creative without ever showing off. It's a sharp, precise record of where she comes from and where she's going. A thrill to eat. Dinner for two with a bottle of wine and 12.5 per cent service charge was £289.68 (€339). The verdict: The most exciting food I've eaten in years. Food provenance: Seafood from Bethnal Green Fish Supplies and Fin & Flounder; meat from HG Walter, Billfields and Farmer Tom; and vegetables from Oui Chef, Shrub and Albion. Vegetarian options: Vegetarian tasting menu available. Wheelchair access: Accessible room with no accessible toilet. Music: Afrobeat, Amapiano and Fela Kuti.
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
I tried the Iranian canteen in central London - this is what turned up for £11.50
There's no shortage of cafes in every district of London. On the northern edge of central London, Fitzrovia - tucked between Camden and the West End - was once the Bohemian playground of writers such as Virginia Woolf, George Bernard Shaw and Arthur Rimbaud. Whether any literary giants still mingle today in Fitzrovia's plethora of indie bars, cafes and restaurants is impossible to say. But the good news is; those places are still there for the rest of us to eat and drink at. The corner of Warren Street, facing the station of the same name, is bossed over by a 24-hour McDonald's which seems busy at all times. But walk further along Warren Street and you'll see a flurry of small, independent diners and eateries. There's Bento-Ya Japanese restaurant, Bang-Bang Vietnamese canteen, Miel bakery and the ever-popular Qima café. Opposite Qima, a new cafe opened on April 14 this year and offers all the trappings of a traditional greasy spoon... with an Iranian twist. Joon cafe on Warren Street is a cosy, wood-beamed venue that offers delicious protein-filled main meals with a wide selection of salads and side dishes. You can book online or save 50% on selected dates by booking via The Fork. READ MORE: First look inside Wetherspoons £3 million new pub in West London READ MORE: Lana Del Rey fans' 'patience wearing thin' as they wait at Wembley Stadium Joon's breakfast menu includes the likes of granola serviced with Greek yoghurt, fruits, conserve and nuts (£7.50); porridge with a choice of dates and banana (£7.50), seasonal fruits and nuts (£8.50) and peanut butter and conserve (£8); shakshuka (£13.50) made up of eggs cooked in a rich tomato base filled with roasted veg and sprinkled with feta, on a sourdough base; and its own big brekkie (£15) which comprises Merguez sausage, eggs, avocado, feta, homemade beans, sourdough toast and tahini date and conserve sauce. It's late in the morning when I arrive at Joon's and I'm preparing to order a shakshuka breakfast, but the lunchtime menu has just appeared and the canteen's four main course options catch my eye. All four look utterly delicious on their trays, filled with huge chunks of meat, fish and tofu and brightly-coloured vegetables and sauces, so choosing just one is a hard task. There is golden chicken (£11.50), spiced beef stew (£12.50), tofu coconut curry (£10.90) and salmon teriyaki (£12.90). Diners can choose a side, either race and grain, roasted potatoes, or a mix of both, along with two options from a wide selection of multicoloured salads, including gnocchi. While the beaming saffron yellow of the tofu coconut curry almost tempts me, I opt for golden chicken, served in a beautifully caramelised spice sauce, with rice and grain, roast potatoes and salad and gnocchi. It's a enormously filling meal and for the grand price of £11.50, it's amazing bang for your buck. I choose a latte (£3.80) to drink alongside my meal and opt for an extra shot (50p), which turns out to be entirely unnecessary, as this is a really, deep rich coffee - the kind you'll expect in continental Europe than a British café. The staff are delightfully pleasant and conversational. A waitress gives me a uniquely shaped jug of water as I'm waiting for my meal and I'm feeling thoroughly spoilt and looked after sat at my little table. The interiors are warm and ambient, made up of off-white walls, with a wood-beamed ceiling and wooden floorboards, lent a touch of Arabica with a Persian rug stapled to the walls. It's minimal without being bland, a look that Gail's aspires and fails to get right. I pay my bill of £15.80, feeling very full and quite pleased at the price of such a big meal - and that's without The Fork's 50% discount. That's about concludes my review of Joon but it won't be my last venture into the cade. I've still got the other three mains to try... Joon is located at Warren Street, Fitzrovia. The cafe serves walk-in diners but to book online, visit its website or The Fork. Stay up to date about London's hottest events, latest restaurant openings, and best deals with our Going Out Out newsletter. Sign up HERE!
Cision Canada
02-07-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
Fitzrovia and Beacon Launch Strategic Partnership to Support Newcomers to Canada and Fitzrovia Residents
TORONTO, July 2, 2025 /CNW/ - Fitzrovia, Canada's largest purpose-built rental developer, is pleased to announce a new partnership with Beacon, a digital-first Super App built to empower Global Canadians and newcomers before and after their arrival in Canada. All Fitzrovia residents can enjoy exclusive benefits when they sign up in minutes and use Beacon's innovative no fee Money Account with features Canadians expect from a traditional chequing account – all without setting foot in a brick-and-mortar branch. For newcomers to Canada, Beacon Money is Canada's first account that users can open, fund, and use their Beacon Money Account from their home country so they can set up their financial life before arriving in Canada. Beacon also solves challenges with its groundbreaking product for Canadians with global financial obligations: Beacon Bill Pay. Starting with India, Canadians can use their Beacon account to directly pay bills back home with Canadian dollars. Beacon will be adding more Bill Pay countries soon to serve even more Canadians and ease financial stress. Through this collaboration, Fitzrovia and Beacon aim to reduce the friction often associated with relocating to Canada—whether it's finding a place to live or navigating a new financial system. "Fitzrovia exists to raise the standard of rental living in Canada, and that starts well before someone signs a lease," said Adrian Rocca, Founder and CEO of Fitzrovia. "We're proud to support newcomers and Canadians through every stage of relocation—helping families find the right home, including spacious two- and three-bedroom suites, and making the financial side, like managing payments, as straightforward as possible. We also focus on services that make settling in easier, from on-site early childhood education and digital healthcare to community spaces that help build connections from day one." "Moving to a new country is one of the most significant decisions a person can make—and the financial challenges can be overwhelming," said Stuart Szabo, CEO and Co-Founder at Beacon. "Fitzrovia has changed the game in the Canadian rental market and Beacon is changing the game of Canadian financial services. Together we can offer compelling value to Fitzrovia residents and newcomers at a critical stage in their journey by pairing our digital financial solutions with Canada's most trusted housing provider." Beacon's offering includes: Beacon Money – A first-of-its-kind Canadian chequing-style account for your everyday needs: salary deposits, pre-authorized debits, Interac e-Transfer ®, Canadian bill pay and a Visa card, both physical and virtual, accepted anywhere in the world that accepts Visa. Beacon Bill Pay – The only tool in Canada that lets users pay bills directly in their home country using Canadian dollars, starting with India. Beacon Remit – A secure, low-cost remittance option from India to Canada. Fully Digital Experience – No in-person visits, no lengthy paperwork. Sign-up takes less than 10 minutes. This new partnership creates tangible benefits for both Fitzrovia residents and the broader Beacon community: All Beacon users will receive a $500 rent credit toward their first month's rent at any Fitzrovia community. This credit is in addition to any current promotions offered by Fitzrovia. All existing Fitzrovia residents who sign up for Beacon will receive $100 cash back on their purchases using Beacon's Visa card. Fitzrovia is dedicated to creating vibrant rental communities tailored to the needs of today's families. New Fitzrovia Collection communities—such as Sloane at Yorkdale Shopping Centre and Elm-Ledbury at Queen and Church in Toronto—prioritise family living with a focus on two- and three-bedroom suites. Residents also benefit from discounted tuition at Bloomsbury Academy, an on-site early childhood education centre, and complimentary access to digital healthcare services powered by Cleveland Clinic Canada. About Fitzrovia Fitzrovia is Canada's largest developer of purpose-built rentals with over 9,000 units completed, acquired or under development in Toronto and Montréal. We deliver high quality rental supply to the housing market across the affordability spectrum, including our flagship Fitzrovia Collection communities, Maddox modern vintage communities, Waverley premier student accommodations and Loxley, redefined and elevated newly built communities. We distinguish ourselves through our vertically integrated operating model where we own and manage the full process from land acquisition through to design, construction, leasing and award-winning property and asset management. We put our residents first and relentlessly innovate to exceed their expectations with world-class hospitality, amenities, and customer service. Our vibrant rental communities inspire and connect our residents while delivering long-term cash flow and capital appreciation for our investment partners. As a proud Canadian company, we are consistently recognized as one of the Best Places to Work by The National Apartment Association. The rental revolution is now. Visit and follow @FitzroviaLife on Instagram. About Beacon Beacon is a purpose-built financial solution to help Global Canadians settle with ease and build their future with confidence. Based in Toronto and Montreal, Beacon was founded in 2023 by Stuart Szabo and Aditya Mhatre. The organization is on a mission to simplify the path to a new life in Canada by delivering resources, guides and financial products through its Super App to ensure Global Canadians have all the tools needed to build their brightest possible future. To learn more, visit
