London’s Georgian restaurants have yet to broach the culinary zeitgeist, but a new playfully-named Charlotte Street venture looks set to at the very least turn heads.
Kinkally — styled as Kink(all)y by the restaurant itself — is described as a “Georgian-inspired” small plates restaurant from restaurateur Diana Militski. Downstairs will be a bar called Kinky.
Militski said she “fell in love” with Georgia after dozens of visits over many years, and through Kinkally hopes to bring much of its “rich culinary culture” to London.
Despite the obvious inferences that might be made about the name, it actually appears to be a nod to the Georgian speciality of khinkali. These are twisted dumplings traditionally filled with beef, pork or lamb and flavoured with parsley, which Militski will put “on a pedestal,” while looking beyond the confines of the Georgia to pull in influences from across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
In charge of the kitchen will be David Chelidze, who has crafted dumplings filled with wagyu beef, butternut squash and black truffle, Madagascan prawn with matzoon sauce and tarragon, and pheasant with wild mushrooms.
Small plates are, the press fluff says, “inspired by Georgia’s ancient food culture with contemporary minimalism” and dishes beyond dumplings include aubergine carpaccio, tomato ceviche, and smoked beetroot with goat’s cheese and persimmon.
Kinkally has been designed as a “futuristic space” with Militski working with the architecture firm Da Bureau.
The dining room will feature floor-to-ceiling windows, a stone frontage, and wood to partition the space as the Caucasus Mountains separate Europe with Asia.
Further details “reference Georgian symbols and folklore,” explained the team, while downstairs, the hyper-modern cocktail bar Kinky will be illuminated by orange and violet light installations and play techno music into the night.
Kinky will be led by Andrew Pruts, part of the team behind Insider, which climbed to number 13 on the World’s 50 Best Bars list.
“Georgia has one of the most fascinating gastronomic traditions in the world, but its food is so under-represented in the west, and London is no exception,” said Militski.
“We think it’s time for Londoners to share the khinkali experience — but with some really boundary-pushing flavours from chef David that take inspiration from across Eurasia.
“Moreover, Bar Kinky will bring something truly special to London’s cocktail scene — Andrew is a mixology genius. We can’t wait to become part of the impressive line-up of culinary experiences Charlotte Street has become over the years.”
