Rök announces Soho restaurant opening

Scandinavian-influenced food concept Rök has announced the opening of its third London restaurant in Soho.

The restaurant is set to open in mid-2018 with a greater emphasis on plant-based dishes and a move away from smoked meats.

Co-founder Matt Young said: "We try to approach every site with a unique mindset. At Rök Soho we really want to elevate the preservation techniques in order to develop a new and exciting offer that has the Rök hallmarks, but is also relevant to the way that people want to eat in this area.

"Our menu has always been influenced by dishes and ingredients from Scandinavia and we feel this is the right time to introduce some of the unique ingredients from across the region which are mostly absent from menus in London."

Rök Soho will also introduce a range of cultured dairy products and fermented probiotic beverages, a menu section dedicated to fermented and pickled dishes, and a range of non-alcoholic and low-ABV house meads and drinking vinegars, developed in partnership with drinks expert Matt Whiley.

A spokesperson for Rök said the menus at existing sites will not have the same plant-based focus as the Soho site, however "elements" of the new approach are expected to "filter" into the menus at the Shoreditch and Islington restaurants.

Rök has ended its residency at the Kitchens at Old Spitalfields Market after three months to focus on the new site.

Charles Bakker, Frida Lindmark and Matt Young opened the first Rök (meaning ‘smoke' in Swedish) in Shoreditch in 2015, focusing on the culinary traditions of Scandinavia like brining, pickling and smoking. A second restaurant on Upper Street in Islington followed in July 2016.

Tom Griffiths's Flank leads Old Spitalfields new line-up >>

Rök smokehouse and bar to open in east London this August >>

Videos from The Caterer archives

Are you looking for a new role? See all the current hospitality vacancies available with The Caterer Jobs