Luxury Hospitality Magazine speaks with Executive Chef at TOZI Grand Café Lee Streeton, about the new Italian Restaurant, part of the new art’otel London Battersea Power Station
Who or what inspires you?
Having a reliable, creative and passionate team inspires me! I also love traveling, usually abroad but if I can’t for any reason, the South West of England. Where you’ll find me relaxing by the sea or on a boat.
How have you been finding the new restaurant opening, particularly with the location and facing the iconic Grade II* Power Station?
A new opening is always a challenge and even more of one in a brand new neighborhood. My experience coming from Mayfair where the customer base and area is established, you know exactly what the customer wants. In Battersea and the surrounding area, the clientele differs as does the style of food. My goal for TOZI is to establish the restaurant and make a mark. We’re authentic, seasonal and consistent in delivering great service and delicious food.
Talk us through the menu currently
Fresh, seasonal and authentic Italian cuisine. For the opening, my goal was to deliver an honest menu with all the traditional favourites. We’ve spent the past months discovering and adapting what the customer enjoys and then we’ll adjust to deliver a refined offering based on what the Battersea customer wants!
What is your favourite dish on the menu and why?
Hands down the Buffalo Ricotta, to keep things interesting however, I’m ensuring the garnish is seasonal – and that’s exciting – using fresh ingredients to create a spin on an already infamous TOZI dish is thrilling.
What flavours are present in the dishes and where is the inspiration drawn from?
Italian and seasonal are the two main focuses – the inspiration is drawn from creating a menu that can be adaptable based on customers’ palettes, they’re likes and dislikes. A menu is a living, breathing element to a thriving restaurant. We crave change, innovation and flexibility in order to create consistency and excellent service for both the team and guests.
What is your signature cooking style?
I think it reflects my personality – tasty and rustic!
In a few words, why should TOZI Grand Café be on everyone’s must visits lists, and what can be expected?
It’s great food, a friendly atmosphere with beautiful interiors by Jaime Hayon, signature artist at art’otel Battersea Power Station. It’s a restaurant where you can join for a working breakfast with friends or colleagues, easily progress to lunch with Italian wine and eventually dinner.
Images Credit: Joe Howard