Levantine restaurant Ceru secures second site
Levantine restaurant Ceru is to open a new venue in London's Soho, just over a year since it launched its original permanent site.
The new 65-cover restaurant will be at 11 D'Arblay Street and is set to open in May.
The 2,000 sq ft site was previously occupied by Bukowski Grill, which has now closed.
Founded by husband-and-wife team Barry and Patricia Hilton, Ceru serves eastern Mediterranean food, inspired by the Hiltons' travels around the Levant region.
They ran several pop-ups and catered at summer festivals before launching a permanent restaurant on Bute Street in South Kensington in late 2016.
Ceru in Soho will include an open-plan kitchen and chef's table, a dedicated cocktail bar and fully retractable front terrace windows.
Dishes are designed to share and include classic mezze, grilled meats, salads and desserts.
Starters will feature dips served with pita bread and seasonal crudités while signature dishes will include: slow-roast lamb shoulder with shawarma spices (pictured); zucchini and feta fritters; apple, mint and pomegranate salad; and a dark chocolate mousse with sour cherry and pistachio.
Ceru will also serve a gluten- and dairy-free beer called Ceru Pale Ale, brewed by Hop Kettle Brewery, as well as a selection of cocktails and house-made lemonades.
Brita-filtered water will be available for a discretionary £1 per jug to raise money for the World Land Trust charity, of which Sir David Attenborough is patron.
The average spend per head is expected to be around £25 and many dishes will be gluten- and dairy-free.
Barry Hilton, founder of Ceru, said: "The last three years have been an incredible journey and learning curve.
"The brand format is now proven, with the successful trading of CERU South Kensington, and we are very excited to open our second site.
"We know there's a strong appetite for healthy, fresh and nutritious Middle Eastern cuisine and we are confident our style of cooking and accessible pricing will be a big hit in Soho."
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