With a new gym – courtesy of Austrian medical wellness company, Lanserhof – soon to open in its Dover Street outpost and plans in the works to expand the brand both locally, to Canary Wharf, and globally, to Dubai and Los Angles, in the next couple of years, The Arts Club is on a roll.
Its latest offering is the newly minted Kyubi, a Japanese restaurant that further boosts the exclusivity of the London-based private members’ club- not least for its interiors by Hong Kong-based Joyce Wang, who reimagined a series of former hotel guestrooms with a rich and characterful mood board of textures and references.
The Japanese elements are subtle, with handcrafted indigo dyed silk wall coverings that depict serene Japanese fishing scenes, Japanese-inspired ceramic roof tiles that clad the bar, fabrics from Kyoto-based textile company Hosoo, and a mix of custom made onyx or timber table tops, the latter imbedded with a recreation of a Japanese lock in the centre.
The lighting, as Wang says, ‘feels Japanese but is not overly referent’. This translates to custom made pendants, which are tension-fixed into the rich timber room dividers, cherry branch and faux alabaster wall sconces, and a ceiling light, custom made by furniture manufacturing company Cox London – comprising mouth-blown glass cubes enveloped by Giacometti-inspired forged iron cages – which takes centre stage.
All this comes together nicely to form a suitably sophisticated backdrop for Executive Head Chef Soon Li Ong’s menu, which showcases the finest of ingredients in dishes such as the sizzling Wagyu beef served with yuzu kosho ponzu straight from the Robata grill, grilled salmon teriyaki with tofu plum tartare sauce and, of course, the freshest sushi and sashimi, all paired with a glass or two of sake chosen by the restaurant’s sake sommelier, or straight from the sake tap- a UK first.§
