Premier Hospitality

Machiya

Machiya
Written by Roma Publications

Machiya

Open since April 2017, Machiya is a new all-day Japanese restaurant that offers lunch and dinner, with a wide variety of menus aiming to please every palate.

Machiya is named after the eponymous townhouses that once typified the traditional city of Kyoto and is backed by restaurateurs Aaron Burgess-Smith and Tony Lam, the duo behind the critically acclaimed Kanada-Ya.

Located on Panton Street in London, Machiya is set over two floors with the restaurant on the ground floor and a new bar called ‘Downstairs at Machiya’ in the basement. With mechanical and engineering facilities already in place, the space was simply in need of a design overhaul. Total Planner, design and build specialists, were tasked with creating a look to match the food on offer.

Masaaki Nashimoto, from Total Planner Ltd, said:

“We take on any task, from the signage to designing the menu. When the client purchased the premises there was not a lot left to do. It was mainly the ground floor and basement decoration. It was different to a lot of the other projects we work on because it was quite straightforward.

“The menu is very good value for money and they wanted this to be reflected in the design. They didn’t want something high end but something that was clean and simple. The interior is warm, clean and comfy with wood very prominent as the main material.

“The client is very happy with how the space has turned out and the choices they made with things like the materials. For us the most important thing is to work with the customer to make sure they get what they want. We work hard to make sure projects remain within a budget, whatever that may be, as well as keeping to a timeframe. As long as the customer is happy, so are we.”

The lunch and dinner menus at Machiya are centred on homely, traditional Japanese dishes. Some of these dishes are new to London including Gyukatsu, a panko-crusted wagyu steak lightly fried until rare then finished cooking by the customer on their own shichirin (small Japanese charcoal grill).

Downstairs at Machiya offers an extensive selection of sake, Japanese whiskey and creative cocktails. The new bar also serves a menu of drinking snacks including wagyu sliders and pop-katsu skewers. Downstairs at Machiya has been beautifully appointed with a light wood counter, dark beams and modern décor in neutral tones. It can accommodate 20 guests and is open until midnight.

To find out more about Machiya, please visit machi-ya.co.uk.

Machiya

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Roma Publications