Latest opening: Kima
What: A contemporary Greek restaurant in Marylebone that is big on fish. From the same stable as the highly-rated OPSO (which is just across the road) and INO in Soho, Kima takes its name from a Greek word for wave and offers a mix of very fresh catch alongside fish that are carefully aged on site.
Who: The group is run by front and back of house double act Andreas Labridis and Nikos Roussos. The pair launched OPSO in 2014 and followed up with the small plates-focused INO in 2021 (they also run the more casual PittaBun, which has a site in Camden market and a ghost kitchen that’s run out of OPSO). The launch of Kima cements the pair’s status as the most exciting Greek operators in London.
The vibe: The site is small with about 30-covers and somewhat awkward operationally with the semi-open kitchen located downstairs and the front of house team having limited space in which to work. Design details include parquet flooring, navy blue banquettes, marble countertops and linen tablecloths. Much of Kima’s fish is on display front of house, some laid out whole on ice and some ‘butchered’ in a manner Josh Niland would doubtless approve of in an aging fridge. Rather amusingly, the restaurant is just a few doors down from one of the The Real Greek chain’s sites.
The food: Like OPSO and INO, Kima is a celebration of high-quality produce with many of its key ingredients sourced direct from Greece including olive oil, feta and some of the restaurant’s fish. Roussos' cooking is simple but distinctive and always lets the produce do most of the talking. Smaller dishes include rock oysters with fennel salsa; bottarga on toast; skate wing souvlaki; and raw fish of the day served thinly sliced with extra virgin olive oil, lemon and thyme. Larger dishes include seared salmon, tomato riganada and okra; and roasted Yellowfin tuna tail with leek and egg fricassee. Kima has a ‘waste not, use all’ philosophy, using every part of the fish or animal (there are a handful of meat dishes), with fish bones and spines made into broths served ‘sabu sabu’ style with slices of fish. Lesser-used parts such as heads and collars are offered via a separate constantly-changing menu. A restaurant from Labridis and Roussos would not be complete without a take on Greek salad. At Kima, the dish is served family-style with an extraordinary amount of mild-but-very-delicous olive oil dispensed from a wine decanter and house-made bread to soak it all up.
To drink: Libridis and Roussos have been big champions of Greek wine in London. OPSO was the first restaurant in the capital to offer an exclusively-Greek list (it now offers some international wines too) and played a big role in championing then largely unsung varietals like Assyrtiko, Vidiano and Xinomavro. Since then, Greek wines have really taken off in the on-trade which has inevitably pushed up prices. But wines from the country continue to offer good bang for buck especially when it comes to lesser-known grapes and areas. The list at Kima is a little smaller than OPSO with a focus on the fish-friendly assyrtiko. The selection is mostly Greek but there are some premium international wines too as well as a good selection of sake. The wine list is complemented by creative cocktails including a surprisingly-successful sour made with clarified Greek spirits infused with feta.
And another thing: Unexpectedly given its high-end market positioning, Kima offers a delivery service. Kima-way serves up a creative take on Greek and takeaway staples with a menu that includes salad and rice bowls; fish souvlaki; tuna nuggets with yogurt and mustard sauce; and a sando of sandwich of sorts involving brioche, tuna schnitzel, lettuce, tomato, tonkatsu sauce and Kewpie mayo.
www.kimarestaurant.com
57 Paddington Street, London W1U 4JA
