‘Revolutionary’ Takeaway Cafe Targets Fashion Crowd in Mayfair

Restaurateur and designer Juan Santa Cruz has announced that he will open his third London restaurant — Nathalie, billed as “a revolutionary take-out spot in Hanover Square” at the end of October.

The restaurant will open on the door step of Vogue House, the Conde Nast publishing house and home to Vogue as well as other well-known international titles. Presumably the staff at those titles have become a little jaded with the Pret, Itsu, and Benugo output. And Santa Cruz — the operator behind the spectacularly designed Isbabel on Albemarle Street and Casa Cruz in Notting Hill — thinks there’s a gap in the market.

According to a statement, “changing the face of London’s lunch scene,” Santa Cruz “will bring his unique flair to breakfast, lunch and dinner with an epic art-deco vibe.”

The announcement appears to communicate directly to the offices of Vogue, when it says that “If [Santa Cruz’s eponymous] restaurants are the haute couture, Nathalie is the ‘ready to wear’ dynamic that’s been missing for busy Londoners demanding healthy fuel on the go.” Literally, pret-a-porter.

“It’s healthy, intelligent food and very good coffee for busy people, with an element of design in every aspect,” Santa Cruz says.

A few details on what’s available inside:

• Press juices.
• Coffee from Brixton-based Assembly. Plus, “signature” matcha, turmeric and charcoal lattes.
• Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
• Beef, chicken, and fish dishes “inspired by Casa Cruz and Isabel.”
• “Hundreds of variations of meals on offer.”
• Dalmatia (expensive) marble personally sourced by Santa Cruz from Italy.
• Customers can pick up a sustainable ‘Cruz box’, which is, of course: “made from compostable plant-based material (not plastic) either just by walking into the deli-style eatery or after ordering through their trailblazing custom order app.”
• A one-stop shop for a dinner party spree, with “wine, gifting items, and high quality food all ready to go.”
• “Stunning Santa Cruz lifestyle products” will also be available to buy, for the first time, including salt and pepper grinders, cutlery sets, napkins and oil-lamps.

Santa Cruz [Official Photo]

“We’ve grown and experienced a lot of success with Casa Cruz and Isabel and I guess we’ve quickly established ourselves as the place to be for an intimate dinner in the capital,” Santa Cruz says of his latest venture. “Nathalie is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time because when I worked on Wall Street [in NYC] I was always looking for a quick healthy lunch option I could take back to the office.”

“Nathalie is all about convenience,” Santa Cruz says. “You don’t have to dress up and it’s there to service your every need. It’s time for everybody to experience what’s on offer from us.”

Hanover Square is braced for the revolution.