With a commitment to long-term curation and partnership with the Chinatown London community, Shaftesbury has announced over 14,000 sq ft of new restaurant lettings and openings in Chinatown London, the West End’s iconic dining destination.
The latest additions highlight the area’s diverse dining offer, which provides a genuine experience of East Asian culture that blends modernism with Far Eastern traditions.
New Taiwanese restaurant and bar concept, XU, will make its debut in a 2,479 sq ft split level site at 30 Rupert Street. From the creators of BAO in Soho and Fitzrovia, XU will immerse diners in the world of Taiwanese cuisine, showcasing the island’s unique cultural diversity when it opens this spring.
Catering for 44 covers, the restaurant design, by Brady Williams, is inspired by 1930s Taiwan and will include an emerald tea counter, wooden ceiling fans and pink marble dining bar framed by a hand painted ‘Mountains of Taiwan’ mural. A 24-cover Taiwanese ‘tea bar’ on the ground floor serve rare and competition level leaf teas, providing diners with an insight to traditional Taiwanese tea ceremonies.
Hovarda will also be launching a 5,670 sq ft site in the heart of Chinatown on Rupert Street this summer, designed by Barcelona-based Lazaro Rosa Violan interior design studio. Following the successful launch of Turkish concept, Yosma, the operators of Good Food Society and Executive Chef, Hus Vedat’s second London restaurant will focus on Greek and Turkish raw seafood and grilled dishes.
Recently opened at 24 Wardour Street, Bubblewrap is a unique street snack waffle brand. The 515 sq ft café serves egg waffle cones over the counter with a variety of sweet toppings inspired by the popular Hong Kong street food. Fourteen different flavours and nine sauces are available, ranging from cocoa waffle with berries, sea salt and dark chocolate, to traditional matcha waffle with mochi and red bean.
Joining Bubblewrap on Wardour Street for its first UK site this spring is Thai hot pot specialists, Hot Pot. The 4,240 sq ftrestaurant will offer delicious simmering Thai steamboats cooked at the table in the traditional way.
Completing the quintet of new signings is natural fast food chain Leon, with the brand having opened a 1,250 sq ft outlet on Shaftesbury Avenue. The venue offers the regular Leon menu, whilst 40 strong staff sing to customers at regular intervals. Reflecting its theatre surroundings, the interior design includes a red carpet leading to the counter and a lift designed as a Royal Box.
Julia Wilkinson, Portfolio and Group Restaurant Strategy Executive at Shaftesbury, said, “The diversity and quality of these latest signings highlights the eclectic mix of Chinatown London’s culinary offer and its reputation as an iconic and exciting destination for food in the West End. We are also delighted Chinatown London has secured debut sites for XU and Bubblewrap, both of which will be bold and innovative additions to our great mix of restaurants.”
“The signing of all five brands reflects our curation of Chinatown London to create a destination that mirrors the changes taking place in East Asia, where old traditions are fusing with modern influences.”
Shing Tat Chung, one of the Founder’s of XU, added, “Chinatown London’s status as one of the most exciting destinations for food, entertainment and unique East Asian experiences within London makes it the perfection location to debut our new concept. XU represents a completely new culinary and creative direction for us, immersing diners into the world of Taiwanese cuisine and culture.”
This news follows the launch of a Chinese New Year marketing campaign which includes digital marketing, a promotional Chinese New Year film and bespoke app. The launch of the campaign coincides with a 170% increase YOY in traffic to the new Chinatown London bilingual website. The largest of its kind in Europe, Chinatown London’s Chinese New Year celebrations for the Year of the Rooster, saw in excess of 500,000 visitors on Sunday, January 29.