Mateo Garcia Leiva named executive chef at Aqua Nueva

Mateo Garcia Leiva has been appointed executive chef at Aqua Nueva in London's Soho.

His style of cooking is inspired by his time growing up and working in restaurants in Spain including Tarragona, which is owned by his family, and Le Méridien in Sitges.

Leiva also spent four years under chef-mentor Jordi Cruz at the three-Michelin-starred AbaC in Barcelona.

His new menu at Aqua Nueva was inspired by the Spanish Saffron Festival, also known as Fiesta de la Rosa del Azafran, which takes place at the end of October.

Dishes such as saffron infused eel bisque with smoked eel, sauteed pumpkin and saffron sofrito; pan-fried red mullet, saffron potato and saffron suquet; and arroz con leche with saffron, mango are available as part of a saffron tasting menu or a la carte.

Non-saffron dishes include Catalan fuet cone with fried quail egg; pan-fried Scottish turbot with caviar; and Eton mess with sangria sorbet.

Aqua Nueva opened in 2009 as part of Aqua Restaurant Group, which was founded by former lawyer David Yeo in 2000. The group now has over 20 restaurants globally and launched Azzurra in London's Sloane Square last month.