This September, Aram, a new cafe, deli and restaurant from Imad Alarnab, the founder of Imad’s Syrian Kitchen, and co-founders Michalis Ntais and Christos Georgogiannopoulos, will open in Somerset House. A departure from Imad’s Syrian Kitchen, Aram will serve baked goods, salads, breakfasts and lunches from across the Eastern Mediterranean, with dishes inspired by the regions spanning Syria, Turkey, Cyprus, Jordan and beyond. The founders will continue to support charities close to their hearts at Aram, being home to a dining room which will open up in the evenings as a space for charity events, supper clubs and supporting new talent.
Situated inside one of London’s best-loved cultural spaces, Aram will overlook Somerset House’s River Terrace, and house four beautifully designed rooms, while maintaining the historic building’s original features. Open for breakfast and lunch, guests will enter via the deli, a relaxed and welcoming setting where they will be greeted by a counter generously piled high with pastries, dips, salads, wraps and breads, with soon to be signatures like Zaatar croissants and Halva Brownies and a coffee counter serving the likes of Cardamom spiced coffee, Syrian mint tea and Spiced pomegranate fizz. This room will also be home to a new shop with shelves full to the brim with products from across the Mediterranean, including Medjool dates, Jalapeno shatta, Aram ground coffee, chilli jam and roasted hazelnuts.
Moving through to the two dining rooms, both will see calm and modern interiors, with large sash windows flooding them with natural light, making the perfect backdrop for breakfasts and lunches. Guests can enjoy dishes such as Roasted aubergine salad with chickpeas, confit red pepper, tahini dressing, pomegranate, parsley and dill; Curry cauliflower with rocket, red chilli, parsley and black onion seeds. Then there are hot dishes of Labneh, poached eggs, grilled sourdough, Aleppo chilli oil and crispy onions; Potato rosti with house cured sumac salmon, poached eggs and coriander oil; and lighter options of French brioche toast with tahini clotted cream and carob molasses syrup; and Granola and date banoffee using date syrup instead of caramel.
Opening later this year will be the fourth room which will be known as Salamlik, an elevated dining space designed to celebrate and nurture emerging talent through events, from supper clubs to cooking classes. Unlike the other rooms within Aram, Salamlik will be the only space available for booking, and has its own entrance and a private bar, offering guests the platform to utilise the space for community and collaboration.
Imad says, “With my friends Michalis and Christos, I am so excited to open the doors to Aram. We are collectively inspired by the Eastern Mediterranean, and how it reminds us of home, and we want to celebrate this in the best way possible, from our new shop to the ingredients across our menu. Opening in Somerset House is a milestone for us and feels like the perfect location to bring Aram to life, especially with the addition of Salamlik, a very special dining room that we plan to host memorable events within. Salamlik refers to a prestigious room within a house that is reserved for your most important guests, if I ever tried to run into the Salamlik at my grandparents I would get into big trouble! This room will be for everyone, but a distinguished space from the rest of Aram for events”.
Aram will open its doors in September at Somerset House. The café and restaurant will be open 7 days a week, for breakfast, lunch, coffees and snacks, and joins Somerset House’s new dynamic community of culinary talent based at the arts and cultural destination. Marking its milestone 25th birthday year, Somerset House is bringing some of London’s most boundary-pushing food and drink talent together under one roof, including Poon’s, the debut restaurant for Amy Poon’s celebrated Chinese heritage food, and Setlist, a new riverside food, music and arts destination championing female talent. These new additions, alongside Aram, build on Somerset House’s commitment to innovation, community and exceptional dining.
