Welcome back! We're pleased to be wishing you all a very happy new year.
While there's no shortage of struggles in the hospitality sector at the moment, we're so proud of what was achieved by our clients and the industry as a whole last year, and are very excited to see what 2023 brings (hint, there are some big plans afoot).
For us at Tonic, we've a host of hotly anticipated openings ahead, and we look forward to picking up celebrations again as Amy and Bill bring back Poon's to mark Chinese New Year. Gong hei fat choy!
Frances x
Latest news
JOIA, the first London restaurant from Henrique Sá Pessoa, to open in February
In February 2023, Henrique Sá Pessoa, one of Portugal’s most celebrated chefs, will open JOIA, an Iberian restaurant at the new art’otel London Battersea Power Station. The menu, from the chef behind two Michelin-starred Alma in Lisbon, will feature dishes such as La Bomba de Lisbon, Henrique's signature croquette made with Alheira sausage, and Bacalhau à brás, a dish of salted cod with shoestring potatoes and a raw egg yolk, which is mixed tableside. Read more here.
Nessa to launch in Soho in March, with British bistro dishes by Tom Cenci
Nessa, a new modern bistro from Maslow's Guy Ivesha and Executive Chef Tom Cenci will open in the heart of Soho in March 2023. The ex-Loyal Tavern chef's menu will be an elegant yet playful expression of British cuisine, with global nods. Dishes include brioche with black pudding and brown butter noisette; a celeriac carbonara with confit egg, parmesan breadcrumbs and truffle, and a bulgar wheat-stuffed cabbage with parsnip purée and herb oil. Read more here.
Poon's celebrates Chinese New Year with steamboat feast at Carousel
Chinese New Year is just around the corner and to celebrate, look no further than Poon's, who are putting on a feast to usher in the Year of the Rabbit. On 19th and 20th January, Poon’s will take over Carousel, offering a bountiful feast centred around the steamboat, the bubbling pans of broth in which diners gently poach fresh seafood, marinated meats, Chinese vegetables, tofu and glass noodles - all served with Poon's signature sauces for seasoning. Secure your spot here.
The restaurant trends we're predicting for 2023
2022, you had your ups and downs – you gave us Negroni sbagliatos, butter in abundance and a rallying defence of tofu, but also jalapeño rosé and penis waffles. Next year, we're looking forward to seeing a number of emerging restaurant, food and drink trends flourish in 2023. Take a look at some of our favourites below...
Gastropub renaissance
After waning in popularity, pubs are firmly back on the menu. The newest crop sees top chefs and hospitality groups redefine nostalgia with an eye on quality, across both food and interiors. The Chelsea Pig's eccentric Timothy Oulton-designed interiors put a luxury twist on Victoriana, while The Boot serves refined comfort food by chef John Jewell, set among a curated antiques collection.
Music maketh the restaurant
Audiophiles, rejoice - restaurants where the music is just as important as the food are all the rage. Alongside Middle Eastern food by John Javier, The Tent hosts DJs, live bands and a globally renowned sound system, while Japanese restaurant "mu" doubles as a live music venue, with some of London's top jazz and world music acts playing every night.
School dinner desserts
The retro dessert resurgence is going one step further, taking us right back to the school canteen. The Palmerston serves gooseberry roly-polys and steamed blood orange puddings, and soon-to-open Nessa will offer a roly-poly too (with custard, naturally). Treacle tart is an unmissable order at The Chelsea Pig, while The Proof's new bakery serves miniature sticky toffee puddings to take away.
The Auld Reekie Report
The best vegan-friendly restaurants in Edinburgh
Vegan? For January? Groundbreaking. Team Tonic isn't taking the plant-based pledge, but we're all focused on eating more veg-centric dishes. In Edinburgh, this includes hearty Vietnamese fare, excellent Neapolitan-style pizzas and fully-loaded burgers. Read on here.
Chef spotlight: Andrew Clarke and Daniel Watkins
Andrew Clarke and Daniel Watkins are the chef duo behind Dalston live-fire restaurant Acme Fire Cult, which opened in 2022 in collaboration with 40FT Brewery. The vegetable-centric restaurant serves a menu cooked entirely over its outdoor grill, with Andrew and Daniel also creating low-waste ingredients from brewing by-products.
Acme Fire Cult started life as a residency run by Andrew and Daniel at London Fields Courtyard in the summer of 2021. Andrew is an award-winning chef and restaurateur best known for his previous London restaurants Brunswick House and St Leonards, where Daniel worked with Andrew as head chef.
While Andrew has long been a well-known supporter of annual BBQ event Meatopia, Acme Fire Cult is where the pair showcase the power of plant-based cooking, with a vegan-first menu of dishes that are animal product-free wherever possible, with signatures serves including leeks with pistachio romesco, and coal roast celeriac with mushroom-kelp XO and white bean miso.
Both are passionate supporters of mental health campaigns, with Andrew working to set up charity Pilot Light, and Daniel using his 329k follower-strong Instagram platform to raise awareness around mental health and autism.
