Ceru, the contemporary Levantine restaurant concept, founded by husband and wife team Barry and Patricia Hilton, has secured its second site and will open on D’Arblay Street in Soho this May.
The pair created the Eastern Mediterranean food concept after extensive travels around the Levant region. They ran several pop-ups, as well as catering operations at summer festivals, to test out the business before committing to their South Kensington restaurant just over a year ago.
Ceru Soho will bring Levantine cuisine with a modern twist to Central London, serving an all-day menu, seven days a week, as well as weekend brunch.
The new 2,000 sq ft, 65-cover site will include an open-plan kitchen and chef’s table, a dedicated cocktail bar and fully retractable front-terrace windows.
Ceru celebrates the traditional flavours of the Levant region, using a diverse range of Eastern Mediterranean ingredients with many dishes gluten and diary-free. Plates are designed to share and include classic mezze, grilled meats, salads and desserts. Accessibly priced, average spend is £25 per head.
Starters will feature a variety of homemade dips, served with freshly baked pita bread and seasonal crudités, whilst signature dishes will include; slow roast lamb shoulder with Shawarma spices; zucchini and feta fritters; a crisp apple, mint and pomegranate salad; and a dark chocolate mousse with sour cherry and pistachio.
The drinks list has been carefully selected to complement the food and features an extensive range of Levantine wines served by the glass, champagne priced at a reasonable £36 a bottle and a range of beers including an exclusively brewed CERU Pale Ale by Hop Kettle Brewery, which is gluten and dairy free.
There will also be a selection of cocktails and homemade lemonades. The brand will also raise funds for World Land Trust charity, of which Sir David Attenborough is Patron, by offering BRITA filtered water for a discretionary £1 per jug.
Barry Hilton, founder of Ceru, commented, “The last three years have been an incredible journey and learning curve. The brand format is now proven, with the successful trading of Ceru South Kensington, and we are very excited to open our second site. We know there’s a strong appetite for healthy, fresh and nutritious Middle Eastern cuisine and we are confident our style of cooking and accessible pricing will be a big hit in Soho.”