As one of the first establishments to reopen post London’s first lockdown, excitement reached fever pitch in 2020 marking the refresh of Pantechnicon. A Belgravia icon, this magnificent six-storey retail and restaurant development is a local showstopper, standing proud as a firm House of Kip favourite regularly recommended to our guests.
With a grand location on Motcomb Street, the original building dates to 1830, built as an art and crafts centre before being transformed into an upmarket warehouse for residents to store collectibles and furniture from travels around the world. During this time, the building’s horse and carriages used to transport its stored goods were given the name Pantechnicon that originates from Greece.
Today the building has been sensitively repurposed to meet 21st-century the needs as a cultural hub focused on food, drink, design and shopping experiences, intertwined by both Nordic and Japanese cultural influences. Pantechnicon’s ethos is centred on creativity and excellent craftsmanship with each of the six floors, divided into eight individual spaces, encompassing the Roof Garden, Eldr, Café Kitsuné, the Kiosk, Sachi, Sakaya, the Edit and the Studio. As the brainchild of pub owner Barry Hirst, founder of the Cubitt House group’s set of pubs, his mission (in his own words) was to deliver “a meeting of Nordic and Japanese cultures through food, drink, retail and design”.
Starting with Eldr (meaning ‘fire’ in Old Norse), a cosy, wood-adorned Nordic restaurant and bar sitting on the third floor. Diners can expect a quintessential Nordic cuisine experience where the finest local and seasonal ingredients, fusing Nordic values and cooking techniques reign supreme. With plentiful pickling, foraging, open-flame cooking and coal-smoked dishes, truly relish the experience at one of the counter dining spots.
Honouring tradition and the guiding principles of Nordic cooking – seasonality, sustainability and the use of age-old techniques – there’s always surprises from Edlr’s chefs whereby the menu plays with the intersections of ideas and cultures. Cocktail fans will rejoice at the bar’s seasonal cocktail menu updated by a changing roster of mixologists. There’s also Danish and Japanese beer on tap, and a carefully sourced international wine list.
The fun continues to the adjoining south-facing rooftop bar and dining retreat, the Roof Garden. The all-day spot is a winner for summer, decked with enchanting botanicals and foliage designed by Finnish garden designer Taina Suonio, plus a retractable electric glass roof allowing the sun to fully stream through and offer far-reaching views of SW1. The space serves up a host of small plates and light bites from the kitchen at Eldr with main dishes, from both Eldr and Sachi, available for lunch and dinner.
The second floor is home to the incubation restaurant space, exquisitely designed with an open kitchen and cosy, wood-adorned dining rooms, awaiting globally renowned chefs to drop by for residencies and supper clubs.
Sachi on the lower-ground floor is an atmospheric, contemporary-designed Japanese restaurant that celebrates the country’s food, culture and crafts. Chefs prepare sushi using line-caught fish behind the dining counter, in addition to British meat from heritage breeds and organic Japanese greens from Sussex.
Whilst diners hang out in semi vaults carved into the walls, the low-lit Cocktail Lounge knocks up Shochu Manhattans and Wagyu Boulevardiers. Crafted by head mixologist Gento Torigata, the bar’s selection of Sake has been curated by one of the UK’s only Sake Samurais.
Greeting you on the ground floor is the UK’s only outpost of Café Kitsuné from the team behind French-Japanese fashion, music label and café brand Maison Kitsuné. With established coffee shops in Paris and Tokyo, get your coffee fix with London’s Workshop Coffee paired with pastries such as caramel miso rice pudding brioche and matcha croissants. Sandos and Japanese salads are on the menu for lunch with seating on the mezzanine level above, incorporating tables and chairs on the pedestrianised street outside, perfect for the warmer seasons.
Up the steps, visitors will locate the Edit – a store housing concessions selling stationery, beauty products, homeware and more; handpicked from over 150 different Japanese and Nordic brands. The passageway outside leads Japanese spirits enthusiasts to Sakaya – a tiny bar and bottle shop with an authentic feel. Stop for sake, whisky or umeshu, or perhaps participate in a range of masterclasses, including tastings to sake and cheese pairings. Further upstairs is the first-floor Studio – a light-filled boutique that stocks an even wider selection of clothing, accessories and homewares. A programme of workshops reside here too, with a particular focus on art and culture.
In celebration of this summer’s enduring sunshine, head to the limited-time Roku Gin Summer Terrace. Teaming up with the iconic Japanese gin specialists Roku, visitors can explore a new al-fresco eating and drinking destination like no other. Popping up from 30 June this year in Halkin Arcade, the sun-soaked courtyard behind Pantechnicon is a beautiful space inspired by modernist designer Ikko Tanaka where you can enjoy shaved-ice gin cocktails and street food.
Pantechnicon, 19 Motcomb Street, SW1
pantechnicon.com
