James Williams, former head of finance at Tortilla, has confirmed plans to launch a new restaurant in London next year.
Williams, who spent five years at Tortilla from 2012-17, launched Apothecary East in the capital in 2021. The modern izakaya concept is set to leave Shoreditch this summer amid plans for a new opening.
Apothecary East was one of the first of a wave of contemporary Japanese openings in London after lockdown, combining progressive cooking with hand-crafted cocktails and live DJ sets.
The new restaurant will have 50 covers and offer both a la carte and omakase menus, as well as a drinks list celebrating ‘haiboru’ hi-balls, sake, and artisan spirits.
Williams commented: “We have loved our time in East London and the opportunity to develop signature dishes such as our acclaimed miso charred aubergine, black sesame cauliflower and kakuni pork belly. We first took on the Charlotte Road site after lockdown for a year-long pop up to test out ideas for a permanent location. Thanks to the wonderful support of our guests and landlord, we’ve been fortunate enough to extend our stay to three years. Now is the perfect time to take the next step and we’ll have details on that to share later in the year.”
