The Latin American food invasion continues. Raising the bar is recently opened Zuaya on Kensington High Street with its adventurous plates, beautifully crafted cocktails, show-stopping interiors and buzzy ambiance.
Spanish twins, Alberto and Arian Zandi, have created an exciting restaurant and bar that showcases their passion for Latin cuisine with all its vibrancy, fresh and zingy flavours as well as their love of design. The team, from the charming front of house to the kitchen brigade, have been handpicked by the Zandi brothers from some of the world’s best restaurants to ensure Zuaya delivers not only on food, drink and service, but has a fun, lively and contemporary vibe.
Interpreting their vision for the food is Head Chef Francisco Lafee (El Celler de Can Roca, Martin Berasategui, Barrafina), with dishes that take diners from the ceviches of Peru and the street food of Mexico to the stews of Brazil, with a touch of modern European inspiration.
The menu is divided into eight sections: snacks, ceviche, tiraditos & tartars, salads, tacos, robata grills, stews and desserts. Designed for sharing, dishes feature punchy, unusual flavour combinations like the ceviche la brasa with sea bream, red onion, Peruvian corn, sweet potato ice cream and rocoto tiger milk; and the purple taco with spiced lamb shank, smoked pineapple and coriander.
From the robata grill, there’s corn-fed baby chicken with cassava and uchucuta sauce; Madgascan tiger prawns with sweet potato panko, passion fruit and yellow aji; aged Peruvian rib-eye and whole wild turbot with Thai basil, coriander, mint, ginger and lime kaffir leaves. Brazilian stews, with a fresh lighter touch, come in the form of suckling pork belly carapulcra; and norteño duck whilst vegetarian options include beetroot ceviche; green mango tiradito; and a dos colores salad featuring yellow and purple potato mash, seasonal vegetables, coriander and lime.
A touch of sweetness comes in the form of Dulce de Leche with guava milk ice cream, ricotta and yoghurt; quindim (a Brazilian egg yolk flan) served with coconut ice cream and coco biscuit; tropical fruit plates and ice creams in flavours like pumpkin and avocado.
Take a culinary adventure and enjoy Zuaya’s signature dishes with seven-plate and 10-plate tasting menus. There’s also a business lunch offering a choice of three dishes plus pao de quiejo (Brazilian cheese bread)
Head Sommelier, Jaume Farreros Torrent, working with Alberto and Arian, has carefully curated a wine list that complements the dynamic, complex flavours coming out of the kitchen whilst behind the bar is Jonathan Bertola, previously of Hakkasan, mixing and muddling inventive cocktails using all-natural ingredients, exotic fruits, and unique flavour fusions inspired by Latin America.
Tropical classics such as sours, caipirinhas, mojitos and piña coladas sit alongside imaginative signature serves like the Chicano with pisco, dried fig marmalade, fresh lychee juice, zesty limoncello and fresh lime served up in a copper martini glass; and the sharing Zuaya Sundew with Wray & Nephew white rum, pink grapefruit, passion fruit syrup, strawberry and cinnamon spice, topped with a rosemary and passion fruit foam. Alcohol-free sips pack a flavoursome punch such as the Coco Breeze that takes you beachside with its blend of coconut cream, guava, passion fruit, lychee and lime.
The glamorous two-storey restaurant transports diners to a tropical paradise with vibrant foliage, luxe furniture and fabrics and quirky curiosities like mischievous monkey and flamingo lighting peeking out from hanging plants and lush greenery.
On the ground floor, a statement green marble-topped bar is a chic setting for guests to enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail whilst the al fresco terrace is the perfect people-watching spot. Downstairs, a botanical oasis awaits with velvet curtained private booths, a statement moss-covered living wall, art deco lighting and vintage chandeliers above individual tables, creating an intimate setting for dinner. Come the weekend, DJs play chill-out lounge, tropical beats and up-tempo tracks making Zuaya a great place to kick back into the wee hours.
Take a step beyond the familiar…this is Zuaya.