The new restaurant occupies the corner unit within the £1.5bn redevelopment of the former Whiteleys department store on Queensway. Its arrival follows the short-lived tenure of Nela, the Amsterdam-founded restaurant that opened in September last year.
Kāio’s offer continues that of Nela’s focus on live-fire cooking, with much of the original kitchen understood to have been retained. The kitchen is led by head chef Sachin Mistry, who has previously worked at The Grill by Tom Booton, BiBi, Michelin-starred The Cross at Kenilworth, and Akoko.
Dishes on the menu include starters such as torched yellowtail with sour cherry dressing; and glazed smoky aubergine with dates, honey and walnuts, and mains such as glazed Iberico pork with ginger, garlic, fennel and apple slaw; and grilled lamb neck fillet with sour cream, tomato, mint and molasses.
Also available on are freshly baked flatbreads from a traditional tabun oven and fire-inspired desserts such as churros with smoked maple syrup, salted butter and black truffle; and burnt meringue with coffee sorbet and gianduja ganache.
The venue has retained its circular cocktail bar serving a selection of signature cocktails, including the Kāio Tomatini, with Ketel One Vodka, cherry tomatoes and white balsamic. An extensive wine list is also available alongside premium spirits and beers.
Nela was founded by chefs Hari Shetty and Ori Geller in partnership with British entrepreneur Gilad Hayeem in 2021.