Firestarter marks Star’s restaurant debut and follows the success of his eight East London pubs and his Eastern Electrics music festival.
The 60-cover restaurant will be located on Middlesex Street within The Star by Liverpool Street, which is part of the Electric Star Pubs portfolio.
A distinct venue that shares an entrance with The Star by Liverpool Street, Firestarter will have an open kitchen design with a kitchen counter seating for up to 10 guests, and a further 50 seats in the dining room.
Designed by chef consultant Ricky Evan (The Ingredientist Kitchen and Secret Slider Club) and led onsite by former Brigade chef Leon Seraphim, the menu will “lean into the idea of playing with fire” featuring “shareable dishes with big flavours”.
“We know we’re playing with fire opening a new restaurant in London right now, but that’s what hospitality is all about, taking risks to create something people genuinely want to experience,” Star says. “After years of running pubs and festivals, I wanted to create something where the food takes centre stage.”
“Firestarter is a space where the food is serious, but the atmosphere will be relaxed, where you can have a proper feast with a bunch of friends without all the fuss.”
The launch menu includes crab doughnut with cowboy butter and smoked sriracha sugar (pictured above); espresso-tamarind pork ribs; gochujang chilli crack honey fried chicken wings; and Yorkshire wagyu beef tartare with tomato ponzu cured egg yolk, togarashi kewpie and black truffle potato chips.
There will also be substantial flame-grilled dishes such as a 1kg Galician rib, and a 450g Iberico pork chop.
The Firestarter double smash burger will be prepared animal style (cooked directly on coals) with smoked mustard butter and whisky caramelised onions.
Vegetables get the flame-kissed treatment too with coal-roasted beets and whipped feta, and fire-roasted whole cauliflower with black garlic and red miso glaze.
Desserts will include a wagyu bone-marrow crème brûlée, and a maple-bourbon doughnut ice-cream sandwich.
The drinks programme will feature nine signature cocktails, designed to match the fire-forward menu, including smoke and mirrors (mezcal and bourbon with pineapple and flamed orange); white hot negroni (gin with jalapeño heat and grapefruit), and the flame game (Firestarter’s take on a margarita with chipotle-agave and a paprika-cayenne rim).