Sicilian restaurant Zoom East Kitchen & Bar to open in Whitechapel

Located at the Hyatt Place London City East hotel, the restaurant will be headed up by Sicily-born chef Vittorio Meli, whose CV includes Senor Ceviche, Polpo in Soho and most recently as executive sous at the Strand Palace hotel under executive head chef Sofiane Kaced

The menu will reflect the diversity of regional Sicilian cuisine with its influences from North African, Spanish, Greek and Italian cuisines and will comprise small plates as well as a selection of dishes from the deli bar. Dishes will include caponata made to Meli’s family recipe as well as Sicilian classics such as arancini with carnaroli saffron rice, peas and bechamel; and sardine rolls with parmesan, orange, raisins, herbs and pine nuts.

Fish will be sourced from Billingsgate Market and meat from O’Shea’s Butchers with mains to include grilled octopus with preserved lemon sauce, monk’s beard and crispy chickpeas; guazzetto di pesce - a soup of Cornish hake, olives, potato and capers; onglet steak; and polpette.

The restaurant, located in the 280-room hotel, will have its own private dining Orangery, a courtyard and aperitivo deli bar.

Zoom East Kitchen & Bar is due to open on 13 June.