Upcoming Sicilian Restaurant Brings Raw Bar to Fitzrovia Townhouse

Mayfair hotel opens Sicilian restaurant in Fitzrovia

The Stafford Hotel’s culinary director Ben Tish will open Norma in Fitzrovia — a Sicilian restaurant with Moorish influences, reflecting the island’s history. A standard issue menu of antipasti, pasta, and whole fish / large cuts of meat to share will be joined by a crudo bar for raw seafood.

Ambitious pizza chain folds in central London

The NYC-inspired NY Fold has gone into administration, closing its two sites in Charing Cross Road and London Fields. Owner BrunoDiFabio said in 2015 that he would “turn the pizza world on its ear in London.” [Propel Hospitality]

Zealously ambitious coffee shop goes on the market

The New Black has put its flagship City coffee shop on Philpot Lane up for sale, with rent at £110,000 per year. The Singapore-based coffee company — which would serve up to five roasters from different countries at once — was hit by the December closure of Alpha Dominiche, who supplied its ‘Steampunk’ coffee brewers. Upon opening in 2017, founder Phoa Kia Boon said “We are a premium brand [...] We are not excited about quantity of sales.”

Fancy fried chicken shop plots best sandwich “in the fucking world”

Chik’n’s second restaurant in Soho has some big dreams.

Shake Shack puts in fresh tiling in Covent Garden

The burger specialist has also added two ‘Concrete’ drinks to its menu for a relaunch — burgers as they were.