Restaurant with Champagne-vomiting unicorn to open in London
A restaurant and bar with its own ‘Champagne-puking unicorn’ is to open on the King’s Road in London inspired by “the uncertain travel environment in the lead up to Brexit”.
Called Journey, the restaurant is set in a three-storey building and offers guests the opportunity to embark on a “two-hour interactive taste travel” exploring different cuisines from around the world.
Customers can choose from four different ‘journeys’ priced at £59 each, which include four courses paired with four different drinks.
The journeys include The Silk Road which starts in China with the first course paired with a tea-based cocktail, before moving to “Pakistan/India” for Persian-inspired food and drink and finishing in the Mediterranean with dessert and limoncello.
Dishes include smoked beetroot and horseradish mousse with citrus and truffle; oysters three ways (natural, deep fried and “Bloody O’Mary”); Punjabi spiced mussels; and pan fried sea bass on chorizo and fennel with saffron aioli.
Other journeys include Castilla (Peru, Mexico, Spain and The Philippines); Eastern Block (The Baltics, Poland, Romania/Bulgaria and Russia) and The Raj (the UK, Pakistan/India, the US and Kenya).
In a unique take on the ‘press for Champagne’ concept, Journey has installed a Champagne puking unicorn that expels the fizz when stroked.
The menu has been designed by London’s Disappearing Dining Club, with the drinks team headed up by Kestas Stirba, formerly head bartender at Soho House Group, The Sanderson Hotel and Gordon Ramsey Restaurant.
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Other members of the team include head chef Maxim Barkoun, formerly of Bourne and Hollingsworth, Soho House and Medlar; general manager Christian Lacarte, the former managing partner at Gaucho and general manager at The Ivy Collection; and restaurant manager Gianluca Schettino, who used to work at the Rosewood Hotel.
Journey is being launched by immersive bar and restaurant specialist Lollipop, the company behind “molecular cocktail bar and pizzeria” ABQ.
Founder Seb Lyall said: “At a time when the world is divided more than ever, I am excited to introduce different cultures through food and drinks to our community.
“With the popularity of home food delivery rising, we believe restaurants are no more just “eating houses” but also places to have a great night out with an amazing multi-faceted experience.”
The restaurant opens on 459 King’s Road on 31 October with a pre-booking list already available.
From a former King Road habitué and then resident circa 1980’s before being driven out by naked greed of property developers and landlords, it is good to see that some things about the place will never change!