Latest openings: Mama London, Bafarat, Bloomsbury Street Kitchen and more

Mama London

 

Accor is opening its first Mama Shelter-branded hotel – an affordable boutique hotel with a playful personality and location-inspired design – in London’s Shoreditch.

 

Bedrooms will feature king-size beds, complimentary films and Mama Skin organic toiletries, designed in partnership with French skincare brand Absolution.

 

The hotel also features a 100-cover restaurant, including a Mama island bar, a communal table and an outdoor courtyard with a retractable glass roof, as well as ‘east London’-inspired sharing dishes.

 

The interiors feature vintage lamps, dark wooden interiors, coloured macramé and Liberty prints. The chalkboard ceilings are adorned with graffiti by graphic designer and artist Beniloys, and there is table football and a giant in-built Twister board. Downstairs, Japanese-style karaoke rooms are decked out with pinball machines, retro video games, and classic 50s-style microphones, and are available to hire for groups.

 

Opening 1 September

 

Bedrooms 195

 

Starting room rate £99

 

Design Dion & Arles

 

Website www.mamashelter.com

 

 

Bafarat

 

Saudi Arabian café brand Bafarat has opened its first international outpost in London’s Soho, offering Arabic-style coffee culture and French-style desserts and pastries. The dessert counter will offer sweet treats designed by chef Thomas Alphonsine, including a five-course dessert tasting menu. Bafarat was founded in Jeddah in 1952 by Omar Bafarat as a spice and coffee importer.

 

Design Blacksheep

 

Website www.bafarat.co.uk

 

 

Bloomsbury Street Kitchen

 

Bloomsbury Street Kitchen restaurant and bar has opened in London, serving contemporary Mediterranean and Japanese small plates, wines, sake and cocktails. The restaurant is based at the Radisson Blu Edwardian, Bloomsbury Street hotel.

 

Covers 74 in the restaurant; 46 in the lounge bar; 16 in the garden

 

Typical dishes Salmon carpaccio; slow-cooked lamb shoulder gyros, chilli fries, lemon feta yogurt

 

Website www.bloomsburystreetkitchen.co.uk

 

 

Hovingham Inn

 

The Malt Shovel in North Yorkshire has been relaunched following a seven-month refurbishment as the Hovingham Inn, operated by Richard and Lindsey Johns, formerly of Rascills in Raskelf. There are also plans to create three bedrooms at the property.

 

Operators Richard and Lindsey Johns

 

Typical dishes Fillet of sea bream, pea risotto, lemon oil; roast honey-glazed duck supreme, crushed peas, chips, red wine sauce

 

Website www.hovinghaminn.co.uk

 

 

Hub by Premier Inn London City Bank

 

The 11th Hub by Premier Inn has opened its doors on St Swithins Lane in the City of London. The budget hotel takes over the site of a former bank, with ‘compact’ bedrooms, smart TVs and a hotel lounge with a bar.

 

Bedrooms 61

 

Owner/operator Whitbread

 

Starting room rate £69

 

Website www.premierinn.com

 

 

Market Street hotel

 

The Carlton Collection’s Market Street hotel has opened at the heart of Edinburgh’s city centre, overlooking the city with a 7th-floor reception and Champagne lounge called Nor’ Loft, serving more than 20 Champagnes, afternoon tea and small plates.

 

Bedrooms 98

 

General manager Jill Darling

 

Design FG Stijl

 

Starting room rate £170

 

Website www.marketstreethotel.co.uk

 

 

The Halal Guys Earl’s Court

 

The Halal Guys has opened its latest site in London’s Earl’s Court – its second in the UK. Founded as a food cart in the US in 1990 by three Egyptian immigrants to New York City, Mohammed Abouelenein, Ahmed Elsaka and Abedelbaset Elsayed, the brand has 80 locations in the UK, US and Far East.

 

Covers 48

 

Typical dishes Chicken and beef gyro combo sandwich with pita, lettuce and tomato

 

Website www.thehalalguys.co.uk