A European-influenced South American feast of food & culture returns to The Mandrake.

Destination restaurant YOPO in the heart of Fitzrovia’s multi-award-winning boutique hotel, The Mandrake, has re-opened its doors with a newly evolved design and modern South American menu with European influences.

YOPO’s critically acclaimed Executive Chef George Scott-Toft created the new seasonal Autumn/Winter menu. He was inspired by European-influenced South American cuisine, his travels through Argentina, Chile and Peru, and the intriguing cultural and creative design elements and artwork throughout the restaurant that provides the perfect stage for his show-stopping dishes.

From indigenous, seasonal and Amazonian ingredients to low-intervention Argentinian wines and traditional dishes perfected and evolved over generations, YOPO is a feast of food and culture.

Expect to discover new and exciting dishes such as snacks of Crab, Fennel and Caviar Brioche or Sweet Potato, Salsa Macha and Goat’s Cheese Tostada; or interpretations of classic Spanish tapas such as Grilled Octopus with Potato and Hot Smoked Paprika Purée, through to Yellow Tail & Aji Tiradito Crudo – a re-imagined classic Nikkei dish from Peru – and Scallop, Tomatillo & Mango Ceviche for the table.

Main dishes feature Iberico Pork Pressa with Romesco and Onions, and a new showstopping plate of Wild Seabass and citrus. A Pineapple Tepache and Mezcal Granita remains a firm favourite, evolving as a sustainable zero-waste dessert, that Scott-Toft creates using the pineapple skins to make tepache.

Mirroring the adventurous culinary offering, diners can expect a multi-sensory experience once entering YOPO’s jungle. The new interiors have transformed to reflect and complement the dishes, creating a more sensual bohemian look with an eclectic mix of comfortable furniture sourced from around the world and exotic art to enhance the guest dining experience. On entering the space visitors will be stopped by the beauty of ‘Showgirl’, the grandiose ostrich by Enrique Gomez de Molina that takes centre stage, emphasised by other artists that have been brought in to enrich its aesthetic look. The polarisation of light and dark in the space creates a narrative that leaves the viewer with more questions than answers.

In the entrance lobby of YOPO, artist Marco Tullio Siviglia has created a site-specific artwork named ‘Mycelium’, that transforms the space into a cave-like gate, a rite of passage through a branching network encrusted with black sands, obsidian and stones. The wall sculpture represents birth and transformation, like the fungi roots that connect all beings. In the main restaurant space, three large candelabra, known as ‘Vestali’ – like the priestesses of Vesta, goddess of the earth, keepers of the sacred fire in ancient Rome – will capture the eye of the diner, with Marco’s intelligent design and installation giving guests an illusion that they are bursting out of the walls, and melting into stalactites like hundreds of candles.

Encapsulating guests into the adventure of YOPO and pulling visitors further into the curious world of The Mandrake; the second roof installation above diners’ heads is by artist Peter-John de Villiers. Mystical beings, therianthropes, repetitive patterns, and jungle fauna draw people further from reality where they can indulge in the unknown whilst enjoying breakfast, lunch, brunch or dinner.

Exporting the bold flavours of Buenos Aires, Santiago and Lima and bringing them to London, YOPO showcases these alongside the very finest seasonal and regional produce available. YOPO is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and the lounge, with its own entrance on Newman Street, is open all day with a light snack menu and coffee and lunches available for takeaway. Come weekends, guests may indulge in a spirited and gastronomic brunch experience exclusively available on Sundays, accompanied by cool tunes by Music Curator DJ Karen Lopez to add to the fun and lively ambience.

The Mandrake is renowned for its fusion of art, culture and design, and YOPO brings a culinary storm to complement the surreal eccentricity of Fitzrovia’s sought-after and exclusive destination.

E: Reservations
A: The Mandrake, 20-21 Newman Street, London, W1T 1PG.
T: +44 (0)203 146 7770
W: The Mandrake Yopo Restaurant