London Pachamama Group’s latest venture, Bottarga, is set to open its doors to Chelsea on 6 November.
The project will be a sequel to Notting Hill’s zēphyr — Mediterranean cuisine, guided by visits to the Aegean islands.
Bottarga’s menu will be a collaboration between the group’s original opening chef, Adam Rawson, and Greek Executive Chef, Tzoulio Loulai.
The group describes Bottarga as the “younger and more casual sibling to zēphyr with a homely offering”, with many
elements of Loulai’s classic childhood recipes being incorporated.
Identifying the strengths behind zēphyr’s success, the group is following suit with Bottarga in the same vein.
The not-so-simple signature Greek Salad will showcase the spectrum of
quality produce that guests can expect from the new restaurant: from olive oil produced exclusively for the restaurant by Loulai’s father exported directly from Greece; to olive oil rusks from Karavas Bakery in Kythira on the Ionian Islands, as well as Amfissa olives and Epiros feta.
Handmade pita from the locally-renowned Aspropirgos will also be served.
Hot and cold mezze will be available to start, as well as sharing plates including whole grilled day-boat fish finished with chilli butter and UK ex-dairy ribeyes on-the-bone from Txuleta, grilled over charcoal and served with a bone marrow stifado jus.
New Bottarga-exclusive highlights will include: a cep mushroom pastichio topped with shavings of thyme Graviera cheese and plenty of black truffle; Kalamata Gildas featuring 000 Cantabrian anchovies with aged Graviera; and whole burnt butter potatoes — first confited in clarified butter, only to be finished with even more brown butter and then, finally, served with roasted garlic aioli, on the side.
A golden Bottarga Orzo will is the restaurant’s eponymous “hero dish”.
For dessert, a burnt original Beans Piura Porcelana Chocolate Cheesecake will be served at the tables under a cascade of salted caramel
chocolate sauce.
The wine list at Bottarga will feature a curated selection of wines that showcase the rich diversity of Mediterranean viticulture. It will celebrate indigenous varietals, while also including renowned names in European winemaking.
As with zēphyr, the concept for Bottarga has been developed fully from beginning to end exclusively by the Pachamama Group – graphics have been produced internally by their in-house design team and every single piece of crockery has been hand-selected by Brand Director, Yaroslava Malkova, from local antique markets.
Mix-tapes curated by eminent Greek DJ, Georgios Kalamotousakis, will set the scene from noon till night at Bottarga against a backdrop of transportive interiors that pay homage to the site’s previous concept, Chicama.
The wabi-sabi-inspired walls embody the beauty of imperfection and the passage of time, while the newly laid wooden floors carry the elegance of classic European opulence.
Vibrant artworks, created specifically for Bottarga by project and art director, Lunara Bramley-Fenton, will adorn the walls to add unique layers of interpretation, inviting each viewer to create their own story.
Bottarga also welcomes a newly improved terrace that can be enjoyed both in the sunnier and chiller seasons of the year.
Bottarga will officially open on Wednesday 6 November. Bookings will be accessible from Tuesday 15 October via www.bottarga.london
Photo by Jessica Wang