Cherry red
Impala, Akub, Marylebone properties, Prawn on the Lawn, Franc, best rooftop pools, England v. Argentina, MORE
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RESTAURANTS & BARS • First Word
Not so tame
The Skinny: Meedu Saad is best known as executive chef and co-owner of Kiln, the Soho Thai spot beloved of chefs, FOUND readers – pretty much everyone. In March, he opened Impala, a huge, vibey charcoal grill restaurant with influences from North Africa to north London that’s one of the most talked-about openings of the year.
The Vibe: Dark, sexy, buzzing with life and loud music. In a 1960s concrete building on Dean St, Impala occupies a sprawling space full of nooks and crannies. Service is extremely warm and laid-back, and the restaurant was packed on a recent Monday night, from the lively bar up front to the quieter tables at the back.
The Food: North African-inspired, with influences from Saad’s Egyptian heritage. It starts with Aish Baladi, a puffed-up circular wholegrain Egyptian bread dusted with bran, baked to order, served with olive oil and harissa. A highlight is the pastilla, a paper-thin pastry triangle filled with dense mutton and pickled walnut, plated alongside a fruity and sweet brown sauce. Raw sea bass with peas and mashua root is refreshing and bitter, while white crab kibbeh parcels come wrapped in fragrant shiso leaves instead of dough.
From the slightly larger plates section, grilled short ribs are juicy and light on spice, while sheftalia are standout sausages stuffed with Tamworth pork, wrapped in caul fat with a sticky-sweet glaze. From the mains, monkfish in grape leaves is lightly cooked and could be heavier on flavour, though the accompanying tabbouleh is pleasingly savoury. Crisp spring salad is zhushed up with pistachio butter and flakes of filo pastry for a sweet flavour and crunch. There’s just one dessert, but it’s a triumph: a tricolour date-and-pistachio tart with a light, custardy middle and a savoury pistachio dust on top that brings just the right salty-sweet ending.
The Drink: From the team behind the wine at Mountain (also run by restaurant group Super8), Impala’s extensive list focuses on winemakers and vineyards that prioritise quality farming. They’re also planning to import and serve zero-sulphite Champagne Bourgeois-Diaz, which has a cult following.
The Verdict: Impala got its name from the cherry-red 1964 Chevrolet that Saad drove during his summers in Egypt. It’s a fitting name for a restaurant that’s sexy, colourful and already immensely popular. –Laura Price
→ Impala (Soho) • 13-14 Dean St • Mon-Sun 12-3p & 5-1030p • Book.
RESTAURANTS & BARS • Intel
PRAWN TOAST: Another FOUND reader favourite, Prawn on the Lawn, has closed its London restaurant after 13 years. It’s not the end, though – you can still find them in Padstow. Book.
ONE SIP: With cult bar Tayēr + Elementary still shut due to a fire, Monica Berg, Alex Kratena and team have relocated to Cato in Covent Garden for a six-week residency called Casual by Tayēr. Walk-ins only; starts today, ends 22/08. –Laura Price
LONDON RESTAURANT LINKS: Sally Abé co-creates map of female hospitality businesses • St John Neal’s Yard reintroduces breakfast menu • Coq d’Argent moving to One Millennium Bridge.
REAL ESTATE • First Mover
Three for-sale flats in Marylebone that recently came to market:
→ Montagu Mansions (Marylebone) • 2BR/2BA/1R, 84 m2 flat • Asking price: £2.15mn • mansion block on quiet street • Ownership type: leasehold • Agent: Marsh & Parsons.
→ Montagu Sq (Marylebone, above) • 2BR/2BA/2R, 193 m2 end flat • Asking price: £2.9mn • ground- and lower-ground-floor w/ high ceilings • Ownership type: leasehold • Agent: Knight Frank.
→ Montagu Sq (Marylebone) • 3BR/2BA, 134 m2 flat • Asking price: £3.15mn • upper floors w/ spiral staircase • Ownership type: freehold • Agent: DDRE.
WORK • Wednesday Routine
Cocooned
REBECCA MOORE • founder, author, & wellbeing expert • Inner Landing
Neighbourhood you work in: Northwest London
It’s Wednesday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
I’m usually watering the plants, a midweek ritual that reminds me how fast the week is flying by. I settle at my desk, a little altar adorned with inspiring books, sacred ornaments and crystals. Midweek mornings are usually focused on refining and planning my offerings. I break up long stretches of sitting by welcoming clients to view the space, or topping up my teapot with freshly boiled water.
What’s on the agenda for today?
We’re hosting our first official podcast recording today and I’m hoping all the equipment is ready to go! Once that’s finished, I’ll head to the spa for a sauna session, then catch a film later.
Where are you drinking or dining this weekend?
For dinner this evening, I’ll head to Akub in Notting Hill with some friends. It’s a stunning space that serves seasonal Palestinian-inspired dishes. Everything is designed for sharing, so we’ll order a selection for the table and try a bit of everything. Then this weekend I’ll be away on a retreat, so I’ll be enjoying food prepared by private chef Jinia Tasnin Razzak, which I’m really looking forward to.
Any weekend getaways?
I recently taught yoga on a wellness retreat in Somerset hosted by The Self Love Lab, Busy Babes and Still Chill. Even though I was working, it was nourishing to be in the countryside, immersed in nature and deeply tended to.
What was your last great holiday?
Portugal last summer, where I joined a magical five-day retreat at Cocoon with two of my favourite people, Tony Lupinacci and Desirée Pais. One of my dearest friends, who I don’t get to see often, flew in to join me, and it was wholesome and fun. We started our days with amazing yoga, followed by brunch, and then spent leisure time at local beaches, enjoying more delectable food and even more incredible yoga. One of my highlights was a boat trip around the Algarve. People were either dancing on the top deck or taking turns sliding into the ocean. Pure joy! I was supposed to head straight back to London, but ended up changing my flight twice to spend more time with my bestie in Lisbon.
What store or service do you always recommend?
My favourite app is Insight Timer, which offers guided meditations from teachers all over the world, including me.
Where are you donating your time or money?
I regularly work with Lasting Support Services, offering mindful, trauma-informed sessions for young people and parents who might not otherwise have access to this support. I’m also a Wellness Ambassador at The Vavengers, a charity committed to ending FGM/C and other forms of violence against women and girls. I support women who have survived the unimaginable to connect with wellness practices that nourish, heal and regulate. Working with these communities gives me a deep sense of purpose.
WORK & PLAY LINKS: Where to watch the football tonight • How ultra-rich foreign investors are hollowing out the London property market • Following makeover, Grosvenor Square in Mayfair reopening Monday • Behold, London’s first driverless bus • The workout secrets of ridiculously fit people • Wimbledon style and the rise of the walk-on.
CULTURE & LEISURE • Semis
England v Argentina • World Cup semi-finals • Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA) • today @ 8p • sec 111c, £10,802 per (£2214 lowest avail)
Beethoven’s Ninth • BBC Proms • Royal Albert Hall • Mon @ 7p • loggia boxes, £69 per
Also sprach Zarathustra • BBC Proms • Royal Albert Hall • Tue @ 6p • loggia boxes, £69 per
GETAWAYS • Canterbury
Smell the rosé
The Skinny: A French wine bar and restaurant in a cosy Tudor gatehouse on the cobbled streets of Canterbury, Franc has a simple, strict formula: light-drenched dining room upstairs with a lunch-only prix-fixe (from £36 for two courses); wine bar and plates from the blackboard downstairs in the evening. Owners Polly Pleasence and David Hart built a steady following at The Folkestone Wine Company, which they closed last year to open Franc.
The Vibe: There’s nothing uptight about Franc, and a meal here is relaxing in a premium-cashmere kind of a way, lacking serious or self-conscious affectations, thanks in large part to Pleasence’s easy hosting. From the toilet, there’s a rare and beautiful view of the gardens of the St John’s almshouses, which date back to the first Norman Archbishop of Canterbury, Lanfranc.
The Food: Impeccable. Luxuriantly French and unashamedly indulgent, majoring on classics like rillettes, globe artichoke vinaigrette, celeriac remoulade and venison ‘bourguignon’. We started with huge, briny Maldon rock oysters, followed by leek and brown shrimp vinaigrette and slabs of rosy duck with crispy seared skin and braised chicory and orange. Another visit brought Scottish langoustines, pale Provence rosé and roast chicken with garlicky wild mushrooms. Hart’s famous chocolate marquise (essential) is often on the menu, with mint or ginger caramel and Ivy House cream.
The Drink: Though wine-led, there’s (mercifully) no bound tome of a list, just a few pages of great-value French bottles, including a generous selection by the glass. There’s very little over £80 and a great deal under £50.
The Verdict: Classy and casual, an outstanding addition to Canterbury’s growing restaurant scene. –Sophie Morris
→ Franc (Canterbury) • 49 Northgate • Wine bar: Wed-Sat 530-10p, Sun 1230-3p • Restaurant: Thu-Sat 1230-230p, Sun 1230-3p • Book.
GETAWAYS LINKS: Brat & Mountain popping up in Wales • Teffont House, the new Wiltshire country hotel that’s a hit with the locals • Summer on the Slovenian Riviera • How to find a restaurant on holiday.
GOODS & SERVICES • The Nines
Rooftop pools
The Nines are FOUND’s distilled lists of the best in London and surrounds. Paid subscribers have access to the complete Nines archive.
The Ned (City), members-only pool with restaurant, outdoor terraces