“Do you think there is a premiere over there?” asked my friend as we approached Sumosan Twiga where the red carpet is always present and the pap board is permanently installed.
Mixing your drinks and your cuisines is a rather risky game to play. But at Sumosan Twiga, Japan and Italy come together. Yes the name is unique and comes from Flavio Briatore’s acclaimed Twiga in Monaco and Janina Wolkow’s Sumosan. Situated amongst the designer stores of Sloane Street, before dinner the boys can pick up an Audemars Piguet watch from next door and a Hermes Birkin from across the road for the girls.
We ascend the glamorous Georgian stairway to find two floors of sheer indulgence. Originally split into a seductively lit top floor bar and a dining room on the first floor, we find ourselves at a table on the top floor. With a live DJ, Sumosan Twiga radiates the feeling of a classy club in Ibiza. The darker hues and sensual music are at work yet not a single noise slipped out of the thick soundproof curtains into neighbouring Belgravia.
No surprise that this is the place to see-and-be-seen, as it is the frequent haunt for icons like Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss and the Ecclestone sisters. The all in one extravaganza of drinks, dinner, late night lounge and DJ attract those in the mood to celebrate life.
To start, a new original cocktail list took my eye. The Passion for Twiga had hints of Campari topped with a fluffy yet creamy passion fruit foam. Scanning the room, I wasn’t the only one with impeccable taste.
Forget Campbell and Moss, the real star of Sumosan Twiga and deserving of a mile long red carpet is their Lobster Salad. Sumosan Twiga is a guarantee of a big night out but they are also VERY serious about their food. First of all the presentation – Mounds of perfectly placed intensely green lollo biondo lettuce wrapped around the plate glistening a with a tangy lemon mustard dressing. Remove a piece of this permed curly coral lettuce to reveal mounds of lobster that went so well with that lemony dressing. Genius.
The menu is completely split down the middle between Italian and Japanese so you can choose to have whatever you want, whenever you want it. We then moved to Japan with nigiri sushi including salmon roe, tuna and then Maki rolls with king crab, avocado and sweet soy salmon each one packed with flavour.
Nothing is more Italian than having some burrata in a pasta course. This burrata and black truffle ravioli arrived in a butter sauce with sage. This embodied Italy in one plate.
To end our night, an (Italian) smoked Negroni, a Tiramisu and the selection of Mochi. We enjoyed the rich and airy creamy coffee spiked Tiramisu next to the chewy consistency of mochi. This summed up the experience which never feels like a gimmick but rather it creates a a total gastronomic experience with two of my favourite cuisines worthy of endless red carpets.
To discover more, visit: sumosantwigalondon.com
All imagery courtesy of Sumosan Twiga.
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