Flavour Bastard — London, UK

Standing out in Soho’s dense warren of eclectic eateries and rowdy drinking holes is always a difficult task. Flavour Bastard seeks to snare attention from the off, with its brash moniker and indefinable concept.
Designed by AfroditiKrassa, the restaurant features nods to Italian architect Carlo Scarpa in its elevated use of humble and unexpected materials. Hefty concrete panels clad the walls, softened by hand-applied gold leaf; whilst pebbledash – surely the most unfashionable material of all and typically associated with oh-so-grim suburbia – is reimagined as a tactile, industrial treatment for the bar and lower walls.
Bespoke wall lights, inspired by Scarpa’s sculptural work, throw pillars of light and shadow around the dining room, highlighting a colour palette dominated by deep purple. It’s an inviting vision and provides an antidote to the frenetic energy of the neighbourhood, whilst no doubt feeding off it.
The unconventional design speaks to the cuisine, which defies categorisation. Part Indian, part Middle Eastern and with fanciful Mediterranean flourishes, it isn’t grounded in any one culture, but is instead a story of various flavours that have run away from home and which now live together on Frith Street. Roast sweet potato is combined with chilli popcorn; duck egg with pickled watermelon; and glazed aubergine with peanut-buckwheat crumble on a menu composed of sharing plates and grin-inducing one-bite tasters.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
63-64 Frith St
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
-
Wild sauna, anyone? The ultimate guide to exploring deep heat in the UK outdoors
‘Wild Sauna’, a new book exploring the finest outdoor establishments for the ultimate deep-heat experience in the UK, has hit the shelves; we find out more about the growing trend
-
Highlights from the transporting Cruise 2026 shows
The Cruise 2026 season began yesterday with a Chanel show at Lake Como, heralding the start of a series of jet-setting, destination runway shows from fashion’s biggest houses
-
Behind the design of national pavilions in Venice: three studios to know
Designing the British, Swiss and Mexican national pavilions at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025 are three outstanding studios to know before you go
-
Premium patisserie Naya is Mayfair’s latest sweet spot
Heritage meets opulence at Naya bakery in Mayfair, London. With interiors by India Hicks and Anna Goulandris, the patisserie looks good enough to eat
-
One Club Row is London’s answer to the Lower East Side
Located at the site of the former hotspot Les Trois Garçons, One Club Row brings back noughties glamour with 19th-century interiors, gourmet bites, and jazz nights
-
Marylebone restaurant Nina turns up the volume on Italian dining
At Nina, don’t expect a view of the Amalfi Coast. Do expect pasta, leopard print and industrial chic
-
Wallpaper* checks in at Treehouse Hotel Manchester: you may not want to leaf
Treehouse Hotel Manchester offers a nature-infused biophilic sanctuary amidst the city’s ever-growing architectural canopy
-
Dining at Pyrá feels like a Mediterranean kiss on both cheeks
Designed by House of Dré, this Lonsdale Road addition dishes up an enticing fusion of Greek and Spanish cooking
-
London restaurant Tatar Bunar puts Ukrainian heritage front and centre
Family recipes and contemporary design merge at this new east London restaurant by Ukrainian restaurateurs Anna Andriienko and Alex Cooper
-
Corner Corner may be London's most unique entertainment destination yet
The newly-opened venue combines food, jazz and—yes—urban farming beneath one sprawling roof
-
For a taste of Greece, head to this playful new restaurant in London’s Chelsea
Pachamama Group’s latest venture, Bottarga, dishes up taverna flavours in an edgy bistro-style setting