Opening in St Christopher’s Place, Noreen will be open for lunch and dinner seven days a week and will draw inspiration from across the Arabian Peninsula and the Levant, with a focus on the region and its culinary heritage, culture, and diversity.
Translating to ‘two lights’ in Arabic, Noreen will be led in the kitchen by head chef Mehdi Hani, who has experience in cooking in kitchens including Harrods and The Dorchester.
The menu will build on Hani’s Syrian and Lebanese heritage and will feature mezzes to share, flatbreads made in a Tannour oven, meats from a Minqala grill and slow-cooked dishes.
The bar menu of alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails will be created in collaboration with Mr Lyan Studio and offer a concise selection that will feature traditional Middle Eastern spirit arak as well as flavours from the region such as hibiscus, za’atar, black lime and tahini.
Noreen’s wine list will feature a ‘modest’ selection of bottles with a focus on lesser-known regions from across Lebanon, Turkey and the eastern Mediterranean.
“We’ve always loved introducing guests to new flavours and doing so regardless of whether they are in an alcoholic or non-alcoholic form,” says Ryan Chetiyawardana, founder of Mr Lyan Studio.
“After learning more about the rich histories and diverse cultures of the Middle East, and discovering the incredible ingredients found across the region, we were excited to introduce these to Londoners in some new forms through cocktails.”