The vaulted ceiling and arched mezzanine aisles at KINZ could easily pass for those of a restored basilica — at least until you learn the Grade II-listed 1930s building, designed by Sir Edward Maufe at 50 Notting Hill Gate, was once a Lloyds Bank. Its past is far more profane than the space suggests at first glance. But an unconditional devotion to Lebanon's home cooking and heirloom recipes turns sibling entrepreneurs Jad and Karim Lahoud and Rasha Khouri Bruzzo's recently unveiled new restaurant into a temple to emotional dining all the same.
When we visit the eatery at the end of June, it's not yet midday, and warm rays of sunshine draw geometrical lines onto its tiled flooring, cutting through the wide tracery windows placed near its roof and bouncing off the stone in a warm, suffused glow. One of this year's most exciting London restaurant openings, KINZ unfolds as a progression of seamlessly connected rooms anchored in organic materials, delicate hues, and timelessly beautiful furniture. It boasts a private dining room seating up to 16 guests, with pomegranate-inspired plastered sculptural ceilings, cream zellige tiles, embroidered curtains, and earthenware vessels echoing Lebanon's own atmosphere and capturing a sense of intentional domesticity.
