SINO, a new restaurant from founder Polina Sychova and chef Eugene Korolev, will open in Notting Hill this May.
The restaurant will serve refined, Ukrainian-inspired cuisine, blending the country’s culinary traditions with contemporary western techniques.
Named for the Ukrainian word “сіно” (hay), the restaurant draws inspiration from Ukraine’s diverse landscape—mountains, forests, fertile plains, and sea coasts.
Menu highlights include hay-infused wild mushroom broth; aubergine marinated with dill flowers, fennel and garlic, served with Kyyrma bread; beef tartar with ceps sabayon, Jerusalem artichoke crisps and lovage oil; and pork belly with blackened beetroot, smoked dry pear and pickled walnut.
Mains include cherry-glazed BBQ catfish with fried parsley root, samphire, dried grated mussels and bell pepper sauce—an elevated take on a dish from Odesa’s Pryvoz Market—and oxtail vareniky with spicy beef broth and housemade mushroom garum.
Desserts include aged walnut ice cream with smoked plum chocolate mousse.
Korolev, president of Bocuse D’Or Ukraine, is regarded as one of Ukraine’s leading culinary talents. His experience includes time at Michelin-starred kitchens across Europe, including Vendôme, Atelier Amaro, Benoit and HILMAR (formerly Gourmet).
Ukrainian mixologist Ana Reznik (formerly of A Bar with Shapes for a Name) has developed a cocktail menu inspired by classic Ukrainian dishes.
Options include the Buckwheat Milk Punch, which blends buckwheat, cardamom, vanilla and aged rum, and the Apple Bun, which pairs vodka, dulce de leche distillates and crisp apple juice with vanilla cream soda.
The wine list spans well-known producers across France, Spain and Italy, alongside eastern European selections, including bottles from Ukraine’s Beykush Winery.
Interior design, overseen by Sychova, draws on natural Ukrainian motifs. The 52-cover space—comprising a 30-cover dining room, 10-cover private dining room and small terrace—features hay-inspired elements, Ukrainian clay textures, handmade eco-friendly lighting from Clayp, and ceramics from Saga pottery.
Korolev’s return to the kitchen follows his service with the Ukrainian special forces, which he joined in 2022.
In 2023, he left the army and relocated to the UK with the core team from his former restaurant in Dnipro, forming the backbone of SINO’s brigade.