Summer swirl
Eel Sushi, Cicoria, Holland Park listings, GAIL's, Barrafina, Chase and Status tix, Vraic, Oxmoor Farm, best soft serve, MORE
ASK FOUND
First a handful of responses to our call for targeted Stockholm tips (keep ’em coming):
Ett Hem (to stay); Svartsö Krog and Babette (to eat); Svenskt Tenn to (to shop).
Two more PROMPTS for which we seek additional answers:
Which getaway hotel are you booking for August?
Which autumn restaurant opening are you most looking forward to?
Got answers or more questions? Hit reply or email found@foundldn.com.
RESTAURANTS • First Word
Sushi, with speed
The Skinny: ‘No omakase horseshit and ponce’ reads the description on Eel Sushi’s socials, and indeed, it couldn’t be more straightforward. The dinky sushi counter opposite big sister Dorian has a list of 12 sashimi and 13 nigiri, one miso soup, some caviar extras, and a 10-piece chef’s selection. Each reservation is a strict one-hour slot, and there’s no dessert. Your bill is slapped down as soon as you’ve finished your last bite, so you can’t linger. You won’t find better quality fish in London at this price point.
The Vibe: Opened in May, Eel Sushi describes itself as ‘a very casual, speedy sushi bar’. We’ve established the latter is true; the former is subjective. Dorian is a favourite haunt of the Beckhams, so this new concept from Chris D’Sylva and team is only ‘casual’ in a Notting Hill, £90-for-a-quick-bite kind of way, but you certainly don’t need to dress up. It’s fresh and funky, from the video game font to the cheeky manga figurines above the counter and the Brazilian music playing in the wood-cabin loo. Staff are friendly and welcoming, and all seats are good seats, whether along the counter facing the tiny open kitchen or at a window seat gazing at Dorian across the road. There are a handful of seats outside, and walk-ins are encouraged (though there’ll likely be a wait).
The Food: Eel Sushi shares owners with chefs’ favourite fishmonger Notting Hill Fish + Meat, which supplies the fish here. You’ll find about 12 varieties of sashimi, priced per two pieces (from akami tuna at £4 to lobster at £18) and 13 nigiri options, priced per piece (akami at £4, N25 Oscietra Reserve gunkan at £29). The chef’s nigiri flight is £60 (£80 with caviar), which on our visit included otoro, scallop, salmon roe gunkan and – my favourite – crispy eel nigiri. There’s just one hot item on the menu, a warming enoki and shimeji mushroom miso soup.
The Drink: There’s a stripped-back menu of excellent wine labels from the same list as Dorian, as well as sake, tea, Japanese beer and one cocktail, an excellent, nutty, clarified sesame margarita.
FOUND Pro: Keep an eye on their Instagram, where the team regularly announces special dishes and deals, like the lunchtime ‘summer set,’ a snip at £29 (ends 31/08).
The Verdict: The best quality fish for a quick midweek fix, and feels like a real neighbourhood spot. –Laura Price
→ Eel Sushi (Notting Hill) • 118 Talbot Rd • Daily 12-10p • Book.
RESTAURANTS • Intel
CURRY FAVOUR: After a nine-year hiatus, Brick Lane Curry Festival returns 19-21 Sept. Expect street food, chef demos, music and performances celebrating South Asian cuisine on the iconic East London street. Register to get 20% off participating restaurants.
HITTING THE HIGH NOTES: Fresh from opening the fourth Café Murano site, chef-cum-podcaster Angela Hartnett is preparing to bow at the Royal Opera House. On the fifth floor of the iconic building, Cicoria will offer Hartnett’s simple Italian-inspired cuisine, while rooftop Bar Cicoria is inspired by the bars of Turin. Opens September; sign up for updates.
SOMERSET MORE: Following the success of Imad’s Syrian Kitchen in Kingly Court, refugee chef Imad Alarnab is opening Aram by Imad at Somerset House. It’s nicely timed with the 25th anniversary since the iconic spot on the Strand transformed from the home of HMRC to a culinary and cultural hub. Overlooking the Thames, the restaurant, deli and café will serve Eastern Mediterranean dishes, salads and bakes. Opens early Sept; sign up for news. –Laura Price
LONDON RESTAURANT LINKS: Team behind Notting Hill’s Gold sets sights on Richmond • Café Kitsuné doubles down on London with new Covent Garden location • London abroad: Dishoom, Gymkhana, Ambassadors Clubhouse go stateside • London Oyster Championships returns 19/09.
REAL ESTATE • First Mover
Three for-sale flats in Holland Park that recently came to market:
→ Russell Gardens Mews (Holland Park) • 4BR/3BA/2R, 207 m2 terraced house • Asking price: £2.1mn • renovated mews house with minimalist design • Ownership type: chain-free freehold • Agent: Fletcher Estates.
→ Boyne Terrace Mews (Holland Park) • 4BR/2BA/2R, 179 m2 terraced house • Asking price: £2.999mn • pared-back design spread over 4 floors near Holland Park Ave • Ownership type: freehold • Agent: Domus Nova.
→ Oakwood Ln (Holland Park, above) • 4BR/3BA/1R, 170 m2 detached house • Asking price: £3.95mn • recently refurbished on private road with garden • Ownership type: freehold • Agent: Marsh & Parsons.
WORK & PLAY LINKS: Harvey Nichols plans makeover for Knightsbridge flagship • St John Bakery upgrading to bigger space nearby • The rise of the ‘ludicrously capacious’ manbag • Luxury’s problem? The price isn’t right.
WORK • Wednesday Routine
Daily bread
TOM MOLNAR • co-founder and CEO • GAIL’s
Neighbourhood you live & work in: Camden
It’s Wednesday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
I walk or skateboard to Hawley Wharf, which is our main hub with offices, our training academy and our bread lab – my first port of call. This is a sort of incubator, where I find our master baker Anomarel experimenting with different flours, hydration levels, milling methods and fermentation times on his eternal quest for better bread. Recently, he’s developed our heritage grain sourdough, crispbreads and shortbread with regenerative grain grown by 10 partner-farmers, using agroecological methods. Rather than dictate to farmers what grain to grow, we asked them to grow what their soil needs, and we created a recipe based on the yield.
I use lunch to catch up with people, whether it’s someone on the team who needs feedback on a new initiative, or someone from the industry I want to exchange ideas with. In the afternoon, I’ll head to our mother bakery in Hendon and catch up with the bakers. Even after 20 years, every day brings new challenges – hot weather might change the fermentation process, for example. I’ll have a go at shaping a loaf but they tend to have to reshape it after. I don’t have the craft baking skills they do!
What’s on the agenda for today?
I’m spending a couple of hours with our creative director, asking ourselves how to better tell the stories behind our food. We work with a community of small, craft suppliers and we need to shine a bit more light on them. In May, the team headed to The Bull at Charlbury to celebrate the launch of our Bruern Farms sourdough, which is made with wheat grown and milled on Bruern Farms in Oxfordshire. It’s completely unique to be able to buy a loaf that’s fully traceable to one farm, and it’s a project I’m really excited about. We worked with their chef to devise a menu that included the loaf in each course – the dessert was a treacle tart made with breadcrumbs.
Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
I’ll be heading to Barrafina. It’s one of those places I keep going back to – the buzz at the counter, the smell of prawns hitting the plancha, a cold glass of wine in hand. It just gets everything right.
How about a little leisure or culture?
My weekend ritual is to head out early to get the papers and some pastries. I’ll visit a couple of GAIL’s, of course. If I’m going downhill, I’ll skate, and uphill, I’ll probably cycle. Once I get back, I’ll make a coffee with my V60 and read the FT Weekend or the Observer until my family wake up (I’ve got teenagers!). There’s always an interminable stack of books on my kitchen table.
In the afternoon we’ll head out for a walk, maybe catch a museum. I really enjoyed the SOIL exhibition at Somerset House.
Any weekend getaways?
There is such an exciting food scene in the UK, and I’m drawn especially to the West Country. I often head to Shipton Mill – over the years of working with them, I’ve become very good friends with its founder, John Lister. It’s set in the most beautiful countryside, on an idyllic little brook.
I’ll pop into the craft bakeries in Bristol or Bath (there are more each time I visit, which is great to see). My latest discovery is Rova Editions, an independent print shop on the Christmas Steps in Bristol. I was excited to see them stocking our own magazine, Companion. If I’m not staying with John, I’ll book in at one of The Pig hotels.
GETAWAYS • Intel
FIRE ISLAND: Surely one of the most exciting openings of 2025, Vraic (above) has officially launched on Guernsey with a seafood-centric tasting menu championing the island’s shellfish and seaweeds. Chef Nathan Davies of SY23 in Aberystwyth commands the Basque-style grill, while his wife Hollie welcomes guests to the cosy spot overlooking Chouet Bay. Start or end with drinks on the terrace, complete with fire pits and sheepskin rugs. Book.
WILD FEASTS: In the Chiltern Hills, Oxmoor Farm has announced the line-up for its next run of Wild Feasts pop-ups. From this coming weekend to late November, guest chefs will include Emily Dobbs (Ducksoup, Weligama), Helen Graham (Bubala) and Mark McCabe (Henrock). 16-17 Aug, 6-7 Sept, 25-26 Oct; Nov TBC. Book. –Laura Price
PANTRY LINE: Darcie Maher and the team at Edinburgh bakery Lannan have announced plans to open Lannan Pantry in the autumn. Located next to the bakery in Stockbridge, the shop will stock grocery staples including free-range local eggs, cultured butter, charcuterie and cheese. Like the bakery, there’s sure to be a queue.
LAST OF THE SUMMER SUN: This year’s chef line-up for Big Feastival – the annual food fest on Alex James’s Cotswolds farm – features Sally Abé, Raymond Blanc and Maison François’s Matthew Ryle, while music includes Faithless, Mabel and Nelly Furtado. 22-24 Aug; Book. –Laura Price
CULTURE & LEISURE • Texas Sun
Khruangbin & TV on the Radio • Gunnersbury Park (West London) • Fri @ 4p • GA, £55 per
Chase and Status • All Points East • Victoria Park (East London) • Sat @ 2p • VIP garden - tier 3, £166 per
Shawn Mendes • O2 Arena (Greenwich) • Sat @ 630p • sec 107, £110 per
GOODS & SERVICES • The Nines
Soft serve
The Nines are FOUND's distilled lists of London’s best. Additions or subtractions? Hit reply or found@foundldn.com.
Three Darlings (Chelsea, above), rotating seasonal flavours like Christmas pudding or rhubarb and custard