Stephen Tozer and Ed Brunet, founders of Soho’s modern kebab restaurant Le Bab, have today confirmed they will open new restaurant - Maison Bab - in Covent Garden this spring.
Located in the new Mercer Walk development on Seven Dials, (opposite Neil Rankin’s new Temper site), Maison Bab will comprise a new style modern kebab house, bar, and a hidden 10-seater chef’s table restaurant.
The new venture is a collaboration between Tozer, Brunet and Le Bab head chef Manu Canales Garces (former sous chef at the two Michelin-starred Le Gavroche, who will head up the kitchen at the new site).
The vibe in the main restaurant will be relaxed and super-casual, paying homage to the authentic kebab houses that were the duo's original inspiration. The menu will see the introduction of a new style of kebab for the trio, with more punchy, bold flavour combinations on offer.
The six-strong kebab menu (all priced under £10) will sit alongside a selection of modern mezze, sides and desserts, with ingredients retaining Le Bab’s focus on quality, seasonality and provenance.
Kebabs will be handmade from scratch using ancient charcoal-grill traditions coupled with modern culinary techniques, each served house-made sourdough flatbread. The menu will include ‘Onglet kebab with fresh green peppercorn mayo & dressed watercress’ and a vegan option of 'Slow-grilled celeriac shish with carrot puree & crispy onions'.
Maison Bab will serve a carefully considered list of cocktails, created by head bartender Alessandro Mannello, which will sit alongside wines by the glass from the award-winning Lea and Sandeman and London craft beer. The new restaurant will mostly offer walk-in tables, with reservations taken for groups of six or more, as well as serving takeaway and delivery to the Covent Garden area.
A hidden back room, nestled downstairs behind the kitchen, will be the new site’s crown jewel. Acting as Manu’s intimate chef’s table - the snug fine dining restaurant will seat up to 10 guests around the open kitchen. Split across two floors, Maison Bab will offer 40-covers at ground level, with a further 30 seats in the basement space (also available for private hire), as well as the secret restauarnt space.
The interiors, designed in collaboration with award-winning design studio Angus Buchanan, will have a more colourful, striking and outspoken feel than the understated elegance of Le Bab.
Tozer commented, “Maison Bab represents a completely new concept for us. We love Le Bab, and wouldn’t change it for the world. But at Maison Bab we’ll be offering something punchier, bolder, and more surprising. We’ve been developing this concept for over a year, so we’re incredibly excited to unveil what we’ve been working on.
'Kebabs offer a huge breadth of culinary scope, and this restaurant will celebrate that diversity. The philosophy on quality ingredients will stay the same, but diners will be in for a whole new kebab experience.
'And with Manu's hidden restaurant offering something extra special, we are aiming to make this one of the best kebab houses in the world, adding to London’s already incredible restaurant scene.”
Maison Bab follows the success of Le Bab, which opened in Soho’s Kingly Court in April 2016 to positive critical reviews from the likes of Tom Parker-Bowles (Mail on Sunday) and Giles Coren (The Times) – with the latter commenting that the food was “beyond delicious'.
Maison Bab will open at Mercers Walk, Covent Garden this spring. Launch date and further details on the chef's table restaurant to follow.