Former The Sea, The Sea chef Leo Carreira will open a Portuguese restaurant on the former site of Nuno Mendes’ Lisboeta on Charlotte Street. Luso, opening next month, will ‘deliver the flavours of the Atlantic Iberian coastline with a focus on exceptional, well-sourced ingredients’. The move marks the end of Nuno Mendes’ four-year run with Lisboeta, which will close for refurbishment before being reimagined as a fresh concept. Mendes, meanwhile, is already planning his next London project and exploring the possibility of reviving Lisboeta back in Lisbon.
How much would you pay for water? At La Popote in Macclesfield, diners can now enjoy a refined ‘water menu’ handcrafted by accredited water sommelier Doran Binder featuring seven still and sparkling European and Icelandic waters, served in wine glasses to elevate the tasting experience. The menu ranges from £5 Crag Spring Water up to £19 for the premium Palace of Vidago. It’s a response to the shift toward non-alcoholic options, embracing the sober-curious trend while still seeking sophistication at the table.
Food critic and MasterChef judge William Sitwell is transforming a local Somerset pub into a chic 16-room hotel and Italian restaurant called Casa Wivey. He’s partnering with pub operators Jon and Millie Coward to revive the building with boutique lodging upstairs and a warmly designed Italian dining space downstairs. The venture is being funded through investment schemes, offering tax incentives and exclusive perks to supporters.
Soho House is heading back into private hands after signing a $2.7bn deal with an investor group led by MCR Hotels, valuing the members’ club operator at that sum and ending its four-year run on the New York Stock Exchange. MCR chair Tyler Morse will become vice-chair, and actor-investor Ashton Kutcher will join the board. Founders Ron Burkle, Nick Jones, and Richard Caring will retain control
McWin Capital Partners and TriSpan have teamed up to take a co-control majority stake in Flat Iron, the popular UK steakhouse chain founded in 2012 by Charlie Carroll. The deal includes the exit of previous backer Piper and marks the first investment from McWin’s new Foodservice Fund while TriSpan’s Rising Stars Programme brings its hospitality growth expertise to the table. Tom Byng, CEO since 2021, will continue leading Flat Iron as it gears up for further UK expansion and its first steps into international markets.