Jamie Barber to open Brazilian BBQ restaurant at Central St. Giles
Barber has teamed up with Momo co-founder David Ponte to launch Cabana in a 3,430sqft unit at the colourful central London development designed by Renzo Piano.
According to Barber the mid-market restaurant will serve ‘urban and contemporary Brazilian food’ with a ‘funky, barbecue feel’.
He added: “I have no doubt that Central Saint Giles will become an exciting and vibrant eating hub much along the lines of St Christopher’s place and I am delighted that we have secured a great site with great neighbours.”
Barber and Ponte will open Cabana alongside Oliver’s first Union Jacks restaurant – the concept for which is still unannounced but likely to focus on British cuisine at a mid-market level.
Simon Wilkes, head of development at Legal & General Property which owns the development along with Mitsubishi Estate Company, said: “We feel very honoured that both Jamie Oliver and Jamie Barber have chosen Central Saint Giles as the launch pad for two very exciting new concepts. It is a fantastic endorsement of the quality of the scheme’s architecture and justifies the attention given to creating such an attractive public realm.”
Other restaurants operating at Central St. Giles include Italian restaurant chain Zizzi, which recently trialled a new cichetti menu, and Oliver Peyton’s Peyton & Byrne café and bakery.
Restaurant Property and Bruce Gillingham Pollard are advising on the development.
Cash-raising
Barber’s acquisition of the site follows a series of cash-raising deals for the entrepreneur in recent months.
In May Barber sold his two-strong Villandry business to former Le Pain Quotidien managing director Philippe Le Roux, before disposing of upmarket Japanese restaurant Sake No Hana to Hakkasan Ltd in June.
He also sold his two Kitchen Italia restaurants in Covent Garden and Westfield London earlier this summer.
