Former Kiln head chef Karla Knowles to open first permanent restaurant this autumn

Karla Knowles, the former head chef of Kiln in London’s Soho, is to open her first permanent restaurant in London’s Farringdon this autumn.

Located at 61 Charterhouse Street, the restaurant will be a joint project with Romain and Edouard Bourrillon of Maisons Vivantes, the London-based hospitality group behind Cocotte, Casa Felicia and Jusu Brothers.

Ahead of its launch, Knowles will run a supper club series throughout July and August with the likes of chef Romany Henry, who is also the content creator behind @dudu_eats, UK-based sake brand Dream Sake, and food community Sera.

In early 2027, she will open the fire-led, Thai-inspired restaurant Aree in London’s Notting Hill, also in partnership with Maisons Vivantes.

Aree will feature dishes she discovered through her recent travels across Bangkok and northern Thailand.

Knowles has been working across the London hospitality scene for almost a decade, having honed her craft at the likes of Mark Hix’s Tramshed in Shoreditch, Petersham Nurseries in Richmond and Wolf in Stoke Newington.

She was most recently head chef at Kiln, a Super 8 restaurant specialising in Thai grill, seafood and claypots.