Latest openings: the Coconut Tree, Il Sud, the East London hotel, and more

The Coconut Tree

The Coconut Tree has opened its third restaurant, in Gloucester Road, Bristol, following openings in Cheltenham and Oxford. The brand focuses on affordable Sri Lankan street food, with all recipes from Ceylon, where the founders are from.

The menu offers a selection of small to medium dishes to share, including hoppers; devilled meat and fish cooked in spices, stir-fried with sweet peppers and finished with crushed chillies; and kotthu, a Sri Lankan street food snack made from chopped flatbread fried with meat and vegetables.

The group has also secured a second site in Bristol’s Triangle, planned to open in November.

Opened 5 October

Covers 80

General manager Tipu Miah

Typical dishes Battered spicy cuttlefish; cheesy Colombo; Jaffna goat curry with potato; hoppers with sambal and Sri Lankan salsa

Website www.thecoconut-tree.com

Il Sud

Luca Danisi and Vittorio Vicidomini have launched Il Sud in London’s Fitzrovia, serving dishes from their home regions in the south of Italy. The two worked together previously at Cacio & Pepe in Pimlico. The wine list features wines from Tuscany, Sicily and Puglia**.**

Head chef Vittorio Vicidomini

Typical dishes Paccheri with langoustines and tomato sauce; pan-fried calves’ liver with butter, crispy sage and sautéed spinach

Website www.ilsud.co.uk

Chick’n’Sours

The third Chick’n’Sours site has opened in London’s Islington with its own bar and an open kitchen. The venue offers a new menu of dishes trialled at the Haggerston branch earlier this summer.

Covers 60

Founders Carl Clarke and David Wolanski

Typical dishes Chilli fish sauce caramel wings; chicken toast; hot chicken and kimchi cornbread waffles

Website www.chicknsours.co.uk

The East London hotel, an urban hotel for business and leisure travellers, has opened in Bethnal Green. Rooms feature Millbrook mattresses, 43” smart TVs and Nespresso coffee machines. The hotel also offers an all-day bar and restaurant, Due East.

Bedrooms 161

Starting room rate £85

Typical dishes Lime chicken and pineapple nachos; sourdough fish finger sandwiches

Website www.theeastlondonhotel.comÂ

Lorne

Lorne in London’s Victoria has reopened after a forced closure and refurbishment due to flash flooding earlier this year. The first venture from sommelier Katie Exton and chef Peter Hall from the Square offers a modern British menu with classical ingredients.

Covers 48

Owners Katie Exton and Peter Hall

Typical dishes Burrata, figs, rosemary focaccia; monkfish, espelette pepper, Hispi cabbage, mussels

Website www.lornerestaurant.co.uk

 Mercure Edinburgh City

The Mercure Edinburgh City Princes Street Hotel has undergone a refurbishment of its public spaces. The new look features artwork of Edinburgh-born inventor of the telephone Alexander Graham Bell alongside a retro telephone display.

Bedrooms 169

Operator Jupiter Hotels

Design HH Interiors

General manager James Fraser

Website www.mercureedinburgh.co.uk

Turquoise Grill x Bar

Turquoise Grill x Bar has opened in Loughton, Essex, offering a modern take on Anatolian cuisine. The restaurant features an outdoor area which can be used for functions and events. It is a family-run business led by restaurateur Burhan Ates.

Covers 180

Typical dishes Chicken in white wine sauce with mushrooms and cream; knuckle of lamb with vegetables; moussaka; ‘tavuk guvec’ casserole

Website www.turquoisegrill.co.uk

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