SINO will offer refined Ukrainian-inspired food blending elements of the nation’s food culture with contemporary western cooking techniques.
It will be the third high-profile Ukraine restaurant to launch in London since Russia’s invasion of the country in 2022, following in the footsteps of Mriya and Tatar Bunar.
Korolev is one of Ukraine’s best chefs, having worked at a number of Michelin-starred restaurants across Europe including Vendôme, Atelier Amaro and Benoit.
He is currently the president of Ukraine’s Bocuse D’Or team. At SINO, Eugene will be supported by a largely Ukrainian chef brigade, having brought the core team from his now-closed Dnipro restaurant with him to the UK.
Pronounced ‘see-no’, the restaurant is named for the Ukrainian word “сіно,” meaning hay, a product of huge cultural significance in the country.
Ukraine is famous for its diverse terrain: from mountains and forests, fertile plains, and sea coasts.
The variety of cuisines produced by this vast and rich terrain is the inspiration behind Eugene’s menu, who has traveled extensively throughout the country, trying local ingredients and recipes.
The menu will include hay-infused wild mushroom broth; aubergine marinated with dill flowers, fennel, and garlic served with Kyyrma bread (a traditional unleavened bread stuffed with cheese); cherry-glazed BBQ catfish, fried parsley root, samphire, Kovbasa (a traditional Ukrainian sausage spice with paprika), dried grated mussels, and bell pepper sauce; and Aged walnut ice cream with smoked plum chocolate mousse.
A contemporary cocktail list has been created by Ukrainian mixologist Ana Reznik, formerly of top London venue A Bar with Shapes for a Name. Drinks will draw inspiration from classic Ukrainian dishes, using laboratory-led techniques to create bespoke ingredients and unexpected flavor pairings.
The interior design has been overseen by Polina and, as the restaurant’s name suggests, will feature ‘delicate nods to the natural beauty of Ukraine’ across the 52-cover restaurant (including a 30-cover main room, 10-cover PDR, and a small terrace).
Sychova and Korolev’s creative partnership has been forged against the backdrop of the Russo-Ukrainian war.
In February 2022, Eugene joined the Ukrainian special forces to fight on the front line.
In September 2023, he left the army and returned to the kitchen.
“At SINO, our mission is to celebrate Ukrainian culture and gastronomy and to help raise its profile in the west. Ukraine has a rich culinary history, yet its food is sorely underrepresented in the UK,” Sychova says.
“At SINO, we’re combining traditional Ukrainian ingredients and dishes with western techniques to create something elevated that we hope will feel authentic, innovative, and familiar at the same time. We’re really excited to be opening in Notting Hill and to bring SINO to life in London.”