Zuaya: The Jungle of Kensington
- James Massoud
- Jul 17
- 3 min read
Kensington, for all its Regency polish and private gardens, has always yearned for something a little wilder. A touch of the exotic, perhaps. And tucked just off its high street, like a secret whispered through jasmine leaves, is Zuaya – a restaurant not merely serving Latin American food, but bottling the soul of an entire continent and shaking it over ice with a twist of London swagger.
Zuaya doesn’t ask for your attention, it seduces it. A riot of jungle greens and sultry lighting, where orchids hang like chandeliers and every corner seems designed to be seen through a soft Instagram filter. The soundtrack hums with Latin heat; there’s energy in the air, a rhythm that begins before the first cocktail arrives.
And then the food lands…
A Menu That Travels Without Moving
Slow-roasted lamb tacos. Octopus reclining on a bed of sweet potato purée. Steak cuts that range from picanha to sirloin or the Butcher's Special – each one a collision of freshness and fire, proving that lightness and boldness can dance together. These aren’t simply plates, they're passports. Brazil, Peru, Mexico. A geography lesson you can eat with your hands.
Here, flavour leads but style follows close behind. There are few places in London where the cocktail menu reads like a manifesto. "London to Lima" is not just a drink, it’s a mood: pisco, falernum, lime, egg white, agave – all creamy, bright, and bracing. The "Día de los Muertos" is theatre: tequila, mezcal, rum and overproof fire, built for drama and destined for your Stories.
There’s a Nikkei influence creeping through too; sake cocktails that nod to the Japanese-Peruvian marriage of cuisines, but without ever abandoning the sensual boldness that defines Latin food.
And Zuaya isn’t just aesthetic, it’s architectural in its approach to dining. Plates are designed for sharing, for reaching across the table, for conversation and contact. There’s no pretension here, only pleasure, served grilled, drizzled, scorched or seared.
Behind this tropical fever dream stands Emerald Hospitality Group, and more specifically, its twin-engine founders: Arian and Alberto Zandi. Spanish by birth, global by ambition, and very much of this generation – tech-savvy, design-forward, hospitality-obsessed – the brothers have become two of London’s most daring culinary impresarios.
The Zandi Formula
The twins opened Zuaya in 2018, not as a tentative debut but as a statement. A declaration that dining should be immersive. That guests should feel transported – not just by flavour, but by feeling. It was the start of something bolder than just a good meal.
It’s tempting to draw on the well-worn cliché of twins who do everything together. But what sets Arian and Alberto apart isn’t their twinship – it’s their clarity of vision. They don’t just build restaurants. They build worlds. Each one sculpted with forensic attention to atmosphere, storytelling and flavour.
Zuaya was their launchpad. Then came Como Garden, their ode to Lake Como by way of Italian tapas. Then El Norte, a sultry celebration of modern Spanish cuisine in Mayfair. And in 2023, Riviera – a southern French escape so beautifully appointed you’d be forgiven for checking if your passport had been stamped on arrival.
But it’s Zuaya that remains the heart, the jungle from which the rest of the empire grows.
The Empire Grows
Perhaps the most compelling part of Zuaya’s story is what it represents in the larger narrative of London dining. It’s a symbol of a new era, one where restaurateurs are also brand builders. Where experience matters as much as execution. And where entrepreneurs like the Zandi brothers are reshaping the way we think about eating out.
They’re not slowing down either. In partnership with the Regis Group – best known for owning Claridge’s and The Connaught – the Zandis are poised to open three new concepts inside the reimagined Daniel House (the former Daily Telegraph HQ). Each one an event in itself: Casa Como, an elegant Italian with a botanical terrace; WildFire, a theatrical steakhouse built around a monumental clay grill; and Sushi Club, a Japanese-Asian fusion set across two floors with panoramic city views.
It’s ambition writ large. But if Zuaya is any proof, they have the talent – and taste – to pull it off.
Escapism
Dining at Zuaya isn’t about ticking boxes on a trend list. It’s about escape. It’s a two-hour trip to Rio or Lima without ever leaving W8. And in a city that so often defaults to grey skies and beige menus, that sense of adventure is priceless.
So the next time you find yourself in Kensington, step off the high street and into the jungle. The lamb tacos are waiting. The pisco is chilled. And the Zandi twins have something to show you.
You won’t leave hungry.
You may not want to leave at all.
