Fresh from her success with Thai opening Koyn, the restaurateur behind Bombay Bustle, MiMi Mei Fair and Socca is to open an Italian on South Audley Street this winter.
On November 4, Samyukta Nair will launch Nipotina, with reservation lines now open. Meaning “granddaughter”, the name speaks to the intended family spirit of the place and is a nod to meals Nair would share with her grandfather, the famed Leela Group hotelier C.P. Krishnan Nair.
“My whole journey has been greatly inspired by my grandparents,” Samyukta told the Standard. “Everything I know now, I know through them, so it felt a warm, comforting name.”
Heading the kitchen will be Somaia Hammad, a Turin-born chef who took to cooking after travelling through Puglia with her nonna. Hammad’s menu will champion classic Italian dishes, including the likes of Livornese-style red mullet, bistecca alla Fiorentina, stuffed mussels and a range of pizzas. The aim, Nair says, is comforting, family-fed cooking. Nipotina will open from breakfast, and is intended to be an informal spot by day, priced accordingly (at least in Mayfair terms), smartening up as the evening arrives.
Nair, who operates almost exclusively within Mayfair, said she had been prompted to undertake the project after seeking something she couldn’t find in her neighbourhood. “There are many good Italians nearby — and I think the Dover is spectacular — but most don’t aren’t for dropping in, they aren’t dip in, dip out kind of places open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
I wanted somewhere that felt a lot more relaxed... casual but still comforting
“There isn’t really anywhere to go for breakfast in the area, or to go in at about three for a glass of wine with a friend. Where am I going? Apart from a hotel or members’ club, essentially — where can I go for an aperitivo, or just a slice of pizza?”
Nair added that she hoped the new opening would show another side to Mayfair, at least during the day. “I wanted somewhere that felt a lot more relaxed. My friends have kids; where are they taking their kids to lunch? Or if my dad and I want to have a quick bite, and we want somewhere casual but still comforting— that’s what I want [with Nipotina].
“It’s got a lot of natural light, and I quite like that you can really see out and take note of the world and know where you actually are. And it feels quite leisurely. It doesn't feel transportive; you're very much in the heart of Mayfair.”
Things will change come suppertime. “In the evenings, we'll be candle lit and have ambient music, and it will feel very neighborhood-y. So it's going to have its moods through the day, which any restaurant should.”
In charge of wine is Luca Dusi, the eccentric proprietor of Shoreditch favourite Passione Vino. Dusi is known for his extensive contacts in Italy, and is building a wine list that relies heavily on small and artisanal producers from across the country.
“He’s very passionate, him he and Somaia both, actually,” says Nair. “And they were like: ‘okay, this is what we're doing.’ They both know their disciplines, I think they've got along very well, with mutual respect. So it felt really collaborative.”
In the spirit of being a more casual restaurant, Nair says she intends to open seven days a week, opening for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
