Berenjak is opening in Mayfair, London W1, on 20 March, the first day of the Persian new year. The restaurant sits on the corner of Duke Street and Brown Hart Gardens. The site was first revealed in an Instagram post last year, according to Restaurant Online.

The space

This is the third London Berenjak from JKS Restaurants and takes the group to 10 locations globally. The design takes inspiration from the coastal villas of Shomal. Designer Atelier Wren has used dark woods, rich colour tones and intricate details to create a space that feels "relaxed yet refined, homely yet mature, and comforting while elegant".

It is spread across two floors, with seating for 53 guests inside, including a seven-seat private dining room. A further 20 seats are on the terrace. It is Berenjak's largest restaurant in the capital and includes a number of firsts for the brand.

The food

Berenjak's classics stay on the menu. They are joined by more than 20 new dishes, including a lunch-only selection of homely regional dishes from across Iran.

The drinks

  • The wine list is Berenjak's largest to date, with more than 70 bins from old and new world producers.
  • It highlights innovative small growers and English producers such as Dermot Sugrue and Ben Walgate, alongside names including Krug, Château Brane-Cantenac, Domaine de la Vougeraie, Trimbach and Château Musar.
  • It covers both younger vintages and more mature wines.
  • More than 20 wines are available by the glass, including a premium Coravin selection.
  • The cocktail list is wider, featuring premium spirits and Persian ingredients, and there are hot drinks including coffee and speciality teas.

About Berenjak

Chef Kian Samyani founded Berenjak in London in 2018 in partnership with JKS Restaurants. It began as a "hole-in-the-wall" kababi in Soho. Eight years on, it is the largest single restaurant brand at JKS Restaurants.

There are four Berenjak restaurants in the UK: three in London and one at Soho Farmhouse in the Cotswolds. There are also two in the US and four in the Middle East. The original Soho restaurant has held a Michelin Bib Gourmand since 2019, and the brand has two more Bib Gourmands at its Dubai and Al Maha Island locations.

Photo: Peter McDermott, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Geograph.