Reclaimed oak from the Carpathian Mountains and Bulgarian stone give the room a texture that feels a long way from the usual Shoreditch gloss. While the address places you on Curtain Road, the interior pulls heavily from the founders’ Ukrainian roots, balancing the rough warmth of a farmhouse with the sharp lines of a design editorial. Vintage rugs hang against the walls, and an olive tree anchors the center of the dining room. Even the tableware carries weight here – every plate, cup, and vase is handmade by Kyiv-based ceramicist Svetlana Sholomitska, adding a tactile, heavy quality to the setting.
At the back, an open kitchen framed in clay tiles runs on live fire. The menu leans on the family recipes of founders Alex Cooper and Anna Andriienko, sticking to traditional preparations rather than westernized adaptations. You are here for sharing plates that arrive as they are ready – deep-fried cheburek turnovers, bowls of borscht deepened with smoked pear, and handmade varenyky dumplings. The drink list commits fully to the region, pouring exclusively Ukrainian wines alongside house vodka infusions. It is a place built for groups passing plates across hand-carved tables, though the strict two-hour table turn can feel tight if you are trying to work through the heavier sections of the menu.
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