The team behind Hakkasan and Yauatcha gear up for LAVO opening in London

LAVO, the highly anticipated Italian dining experience from Tao Group Hospitality (Hakkasan, Yauatcha), is all set to open Friday 15th September at Marylebone’s newest hotel, The BoTree. After decades of success in major markets including New York City, Las Vegas, Singapore and Los Angeles, LAVO has garnered a loyal following and is expected to draw in an equally charming crowd in London with its sophisticated ambiance and seasonal coastal Italian cuisine.

Menus are led by the group’s Chief Culinary Ocer Ralph Scamardella, and will be executed by Head Chef Stefano Lorenzini (Santini, Cecconi’s Mayfair, Shoreditch House). Born and bred in San Severino Marche, Italy, Stefano will introduce a selection of flavoursome and seasonal Italian menu accents paying homage to his Mediterranean heritage while injecting contemporary flair.

“London is home to some of the best restaurants in the world, as well as some of the finest Italian restaurants in the world,” says Chef Stefano. “We are honoured to have LAVO join such an impressive line up and introduce a unique blend of culinary flair and vibrant atmosphere to Marylebone.”

Serving lunch and dinner daily, signature dishes found on the delectable menu include a grandiose Wagyu meatball topped with whipped ricotta, homemade pasta such as Tagliatelle al Limone infused with marjoram, sweet butter and Kaluga caviar, whole grain, single-source flour pizzas, a fresh Salt-baked Mediterranean seabass, and a decadent 20-Layer Chocolate Cake.

Fabrizio Canino, Head Sommelier at LAVO, has thoughtfully curated a wine list focused on the Mediterranean coastline, highlighting a large selection of wines from Northern to Southern Italy with a Vermentino from Bolgheri as well as a Barbera d’Alba from a small raising estate to be poured by the glass. Using fresh botanicals and locally sourced ingredients, Wendy Hopkins, Head of Bar at Tao Group Hospitality UK, has worked very closely with her expert bar team across the group to create an innovative cocktail programme that consists of traditional favourites with creative twists. Unique signature drinks include the Spicy

Strawberry Mezcalita created by Head Bartender Márcio from Hakkasan Mayfair, a Smoked Old Fashioned created by bartender Raaele from Yauatcha City, as well as the LAVO G&T created by Nuno Castro, Assistant Bar Manager at The BoTree.

The restaurant’s warm interior design has been overseen by Tao Group Hospitality’s in-house team, thoughtfully bringing LAVO’s identity to life through a lush olive tree, foliage and lattice brick walls. Distinguished artist Dorian Van Braam carefully integrated his symbolic fleur de lis throughout the restaurant’s bespoke sculptural pieces. The nods to Italy brings the artist back to the years he lived in Florence, making for a special personal connotation that complements the Italian culinary experience.

The opening of LAVO kicks off the expansion of the Tao Group Hospitality’s presence in the UK capital, with the company’s renowned London portfolio already boasting the success of Yauatcha, a beloved Cantonese dim-sum tea house in Soho and the City, as well as the esteemed Michelin-starred Hakkasan.