When it comes to restaurants, London seemingly has it all, but the opening of Kinkally on Charlotte Street in Fitzrovia offers something different. Kinkally delivers a contemporary twist on Georgian cuisine with a menu focused on one particular dish: khinkali, a twisted dough-based dumpling from which the restaurant playfully takes its name.
Kinkally offers Georgian khinkali with a twist
Kinkally’s establishment is courtesy of America-born, London-based food enthusiast Diana Militski, who has been travelling to Georgia since she was a child and has a long-held love for its traditions. But it wasn’t until a more recent trip to the country, when she discovered a new wave of fusion restaurants, that Militski had her lightbulb moment. ‘I’ve always wanted to open something in London that’s unique,’ she says. ‘Over a plate of khinkali at Dapha in Tbilisi, the idea started evolving very quickly.’
Courtesy of international interior design and architecture studio Da Bureau, the interiors at Kinkally draw inspiration from the birthplace of khinkali, the Caucasus Mountains, which border Europe and Asia. Set behind an elegant stone façade and floor-to-ceiling windows, the atmospheric interiors feature natural materials and neutral colours – highlights include a stone ceiling, soft plastered walls, and wooden and steel furniture. Suspended branches hang in the space like a sculpture, while a spotlight artfully casts their shadows on the wall and floor.
According to head designer Maria Romanova, ‘The most important part of the design is the open kitchen table. It’s brutal, asymmetric and made from wood and concrete, which feels very Georgian. It also allows people to come together over food, which is an important part of Georgian culture.’
From the angular countertop, guests can watch head chef David Chelidze craft khinkali. Though the dumplings are traditionally stuffed with pork, lamb or beef, Kinkally’s versions encompass more surprising ingredients, such as langoustines and tarragon; wagyu and peppercorn plum sauce; and mussels and braised leek. Standout side plates include rabbit pâté and Gurian-style beetroot, and exquisite Georgian wines are available to accompany the meal.
But the best surprise lies downstairs, since diners and passers-by are welcome to subterranean bolthole Bar Kinky, Kinkally’s moodier, more seductive sibling. ‘Our goal was to create a downstairs area as intriguing as the upstairs,’ says Militski. Lighting, created with Ukrainian studio Expolight, was ‘paramount’. Spotlights above the terrazzo bar (which echoes the shape of the counter upstairs) thoughtfully illuminate experimental cocktails, while stainless steel and mirrored walls allow orange lighting to reflect beautifully around the room.
The cocktail den also features suspended branches, all foraged from Richmond Park by Militski and Romanova themselves. Ambient techno plays overhead, and there are dark nooks in which to sip heady tipples such as Nature (bourbon, porcini mushrooms, honey and pedro ximénez) and Koji (yuzushu, sake and cream soda). ‘We would love for guests to return and sit in a different space every time,’ says Romanova. ‘Every area has been designed to offer a new experience.’
