Flavour Bastard — London, UK
![Seating at the bar with red barstools](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/N84D7Z6338q3ZWxcdc9pkn-1280-80.jpg)
Standing out in Soho’s dense warren of eclectic eateries and rowdy drinking holes is always a difficult task. Flavour Bastard seeks to snare attention from the off, with its brash moniker and indefinable concept.
Designed by AfroditiKrassa, the restaurant features nods to Italian architect Carlo Scarpa in its elevated use of humble and unexpected materials. Hefty concrete panels clad the walls, softened by hand-applied gold leaf; whilst pebbledash – surely the most unfashionable material of all and typically associated with oh-so-grim suburbia – is reimagined as a tactile, industrial treatment for the bar and lower walls.
Bespoke wall lights, inspired by Scarpa’s sculptural work, throw pillars of light and shadow around the dining room, highlighting a colour palette dominated by deep purple. It’s an inviting vision and provides an antidote to the frenetic energy of the neighbourhood, whilst no doubt feeding off it.
The unconventional design speaks to the cuisine, which defies categorisation. Part Indian, part Middle Eastern and with fanciful Mediterranean flourishes, it isn’t grounded in any one culture, but is instead a story of various flavours that have run away from home and which now live together on Frith Street. Roast sweet potato is combined with chilli popcorn; duck egg with pickled watermelon; and glazed aubergine with peanut-buckwheat crumble on a menu composed of sharing plates and grin-inducing one-bite tasters.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
63-64 Frith St
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
-
Saatchi Gallery is in full bloom with floral works from Vivienne Westwood, Marimekko, Buccellati and more
‘Flowers – Flora in Contemporary Art & Culture’ at Saatchi Gallery, London, explores the relationship between creatives and their floral muses, and spans from fashion and jewellery to tattoos
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Modena Automobili transforms the 1990s-era Maserati Shamal into a cutting-edge restomod
The MA-01 Maserati Biturbo Shamal gives Marcello Gandini’s iconic 1990s design a fresh lease of life, with uprated engineering, electronics and style
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
‘Strangeness is a necessary ingredient in beauty’: Aesop’s new floral perfume Aurner refuses to conform
Aesop’s new floral perfume Aurner is described as a ‘defiant bloom’. Its creator Céline Barel tells Wallpaper’s Hannah Tindle why the fragrance refuses to conform
By Hannah Tindle Published
-
Night at the museum: the best art hotels to book now
Sleep amid surrealists at London’s Broadwick Soho, or wake up to contemporary favourites at New Hotel in Athens – indulge in an immersive art hotel experience
By Dalya Benor Published
-
London’s Piraña restaurant combines Japanese-Peruvian fusion with lavishly moody surrounds
Piraña restaurant wraps a delicious Japanese-Peruvian fusion menu in an alluringly moody atmosphere in central London’s Mayfair
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Wallpaper* checks in at Park Hyatt London River Thames: ‘Luxury meets the skyline’
Tour the long-awaited debut of the Park Hyatt brand in the UK, soaring within a KPF-designed sleek glass tower in Nine Elms
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
Dinner and doilies: Bar Valette is an homage to intimate, yet unfussy dining
Founder of The Clove Club, opens Bar Valette, a new London restaurant where comfort is king, and its thick chocolate mousse might be its showstopper
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Claridge’s Bakery is set to open this summer
Claridge’s, London’s grand dame of hotels, announces the opening of its very own bakery, led by British baker Richard Hart
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
The rise of listening bars in London: where to drink to the vinyl revival
Drinks expert Neil Ridley – also an audiophile and vinyl junkie – explores the growing trend for high-end listening bars in London and shares his favourite spots
By Neil Ridley Published
-
Gordon Ramsay Restaurants are taken to new heights with three openings in one of London’s tallest buildings
Gordon Ramsay Restaurants open at 22 Bishopsgate, from Asian-inspired cuisine and martini menus at Lucky Cat and Lucky Cat Bar; to an intimate chef's table, and an all-skill level cooking academy
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Where to dine in London this Valentine's Day
From sultry interiors to casual settings we have put together our top dining spots for Valentine’s Day to date nights beyond
By Tianna Williams Published