Having opened Paradise in Soho at the tail end of 2019, Dom Fernando put Sri Lankan food on London’s culinary map. His restaurant garnered buzz for its Geoffery Bawa-inspired interiors and inventive yet authentic take on Southeast Asian cuisine. Now, following renovation, Fernando is set to delight diners once more with Paradise 2.0: his restaurant reinvented for the post-pandemic age. ‘The industry has changed,’ says the restauranteur and creative director. ‘Guests really want an experience, so we decided to take modern Sri Lankan food and design to the next level.’
Paradise 2.0, London
Fans of Paradise will be pleased to hear that the original brutalist concrete walls and slate-tiled floor remain intact. But there are plenty of new additions too, not least a six-course evening menu with natural wine pairings. Showcasing seasonal British and Sri Lankan ingredients, as well as native cooking techniques – such as clay-pot cooking and bamboo grilling – the plates are spicy, aromatic and somewhat surprising. ‘We offer a culinary adventure that guests won’t experience anywhere else,’ says Fernando, who developed the menu with head chef Alfie Bahnan. A case in point is the rasam, a Sri Lankan broth traditionally made with tomato but, at Paradise 2.0, it’s infused with lacto-fermented strawberries.
When it came to overhauling the interiors, Fernando teamed up with Dan Preston, the interior designer and maker behind some of the most talked-about London restaurants, including Mountain, Brat, Kiln and Paradise 1.0. ‘Dan also does high-end residential work, which we leaned into for this project, so that Paradise 2.0 doesn’t feel like a restaurant,’ says Fernando. ‘We did a lot of research into traditional walauwa [villas] in Colombo to create something more intimate and cosy, while staying true to our tropical brutalist roots.’
The material palette, for instance, is natural and warm. British oak is particularly prevalent, having been used by Preston and his team to craft beautiful, custom-made wooden chairs. The wooden tables, finished with a hot-rolled, black-steel top, are also bespoke and feature built-in cutlery drawers, ‘which adds a layer of sophistication to the guest’s experience’, says Fernando. Elsewhere, the original stainless steel counter has been replaced with one made from limestone. ‘Not only is it beautiful, but it has a built-in sink, cupboards and a workstation, so it looks like a stone counter you’d find in a home kitchen,’ says Fernando. A glass vase filled with vibrant birds of paradise flowers is a finishing touch.
Other homely touches include candles that give the space an atmospheric glow, plum leather banquettes and wooden shelves, which are lined with a thoughtfully curated edit of books and magazines. As Fernando explains, the idea was to create a library of sorts, with a particular focus on Sri Lankan authors, artists and architects: ‘It keeps things relevant and makes the space feel lived in.’
Paradise 2.0 is located at 61 Rupert Street, London, paradisesoho.com
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