Sri Lankan concept Paradise to take on Spuntino site

Sri Lankan restaurant concept Paradise is to take on the site vacated by Russell Norman's Spuntino in London's Soho.

Paradise will be the first solo project from Dom Fernando, who has brought in chef Charith Priyadarshana to deliver a twist on Sri Lankan street food.

Spuntino parent group Polpo announced the restaurant's closure in March when it said that the annual rent had hit £200,000. At the time it offered a £10,000 reward for securing a new site for the brand, but there has been no news of a move since.

The Rupert Street site has now been taken on by Paradise. It will be refitted to echo the bistros of Galle and Colombo with artisanal furniture, foliage and crafts blended with industrial elements such as unpolished cement and aged metal detailing.

Dishes will include the likes of hoppers and kothu roti, mutton rolls with curry powder and fermented chilli sauce as well as curries such as slow roasted pork cheek curry, aubergine moju, jackfruit biriyani, and cabbage mallum.

A house batched cocktail menu will also be available at the 30-cover site, featuring the likes of Arrack-O-Lada, which includes coconut cream and arrack served with a burnt jackfruit and pineapple syrup, and tamarind chilli martini.

Polpo founders offer £10,000 finders fee for new Spuntino site>>