Ukrainian food may be synonymous with chicken Kyiv, but there’s far more to the cuisine than garlic and chook. Anna Andriienko and Alex Cooper – who between them operate more than 30 restaurants in Ukraine – have opened Tatar Bunar to showcase the diversity of Ukrainian cooking, brought to life through the recipes of Cooper’s family.
Cooper, who pivoted his restaurants into food distribution points for soldiers and vulnerable communities during the early stages of the conflict with Russia, remains in Ukraine, while Andriienko has relocated to London.
Wallpaper* dines at Tatar Bunar, London
The mood: Ukraine comes to east London
The interiors, designed by Andriienko, feature materials sourced where possible from eastern Europe – reclaimed oak from the Carpathian Mountains, Bulgarian stone from Bessarabia – while Kyiv-based ceramicist Svetlana Sholomitska has handmade every plate, cup and vase adorning the hand-carved tables.
Vintage Ukrainian rugs hang on the walls alongside photos of Cooper’s family, while the open kitchen is framed by handmade clay tiles. A small courtyard for summertime alfresco dining, planted with olive trees and a cascade of ivy, is a Shoreditch secret worth knowing.
The food: Keep it in the family!
Tatarbunary is the name of Cooper’s hometown in the Bessarabian region of southern Ukraine, and menus will draw on his mother’s recipes, reinterpreted by Ukrainian chef Kate Tkachuk.
So, while you’ll find the expected dumplings stuffed with braised cabbage and smoked sour cream, the sharing plates also include onion bread with lardo, rabbit skewered on grapevine twigs, and a twist on crème brûlée featuring dumplings filled with sweet cottage cheese.
And if you really can’t go without chicken Kyiv, don’t worry – it’s on the menu too. To drink, expect a curated selection of wines from top Ukrainian producers including Beykush, Kolonist, and Stakhovsky.
Tatar Bunar is located at 152 Curtain Rd, London EC2A 3AT, UK; @tatarbunar.london
-
Is this the world’s most comfortable sofa? Cozmo and Pearson Lloyd invite you to find outPearson Lloyd and Cozmo lay bare the design process behind ‘Hug’, their new high-backed sofa design, at the eye-opening exhibition ‘Comfort Lab’ during LDF
-
A Mexican clifftop retreat offers both drama, and a sense of placeCasa Yuri, a clifftop retreat by Zozaya Arquitectos, creates the perfect blend of drama and cosiness on Mexico's Pacific Coast
-
Tour David Lynch's house as it hits the marketDavid Lynch's LA estate is for sale at $15m, and the listing pictures offer a glimpse into the late filmmaker's aesthetic and creative universe
-
Carmela’s joins London’s pizza renaissanceA Little Italy-inspired pizzeria lands in Islington with 13-inch pies, pepperoni heat and big flavour energy
-
Has the ice cream parlour come of age?A global wave of architecture studios is treating the scoop as spectacle, turning parlours into immersive social spaces
-
Legado brings a bold Spanish legacy to ShoreditchMichelin-starred chef Nieves Barragán Mohacho’s second venture marries design-led interiors with regional Spanish flavours rarely found in London
-
The Macbeth, an icon of indie sleaze, goes from grotty to gastroAn East End legend meets Portuguese small plates in Jamie Allan’s ambitious revival of a beloved Hackney watering hole
-
A complete collection of Phaidon’s ‘Contemporary Artists Series’ is on display in LondonA 30-year project reaching 100 volumes is being celebrated with an exhibition at the 45 Park Lane hotel, including limited-edition works by Kaws and Dana Schutz
-
London’s best pizza restaurant gets a new home in MayfairSecure a slice of New York-style pizza in central London as Crisp Pizza teams up with the Devonshire pub to set up shop in the relaunched The Marlborough
-
At this east London listening bar, mezcal-fuelled cocktails hit as hard as the basslinesIn Bethnal Green, Little Fires pairs vinyl grooves with mezcal margaritas and Oaxacan sharing plates
-
Harry Nuriev’s Noisy Oyster London bistro isn’t quite finished – and that’s the pointA futuristic, work-in-progress aesthetic forms a striking backdrop for a new, sustainably focused seafood bistro in Shoreditch
