MJMK to open new Charlotte Street restaurant

This September will see the launch of Luso, a contemporary Portuguese restaurant from MJMK Restaurants, taking over the former Lisobeta site on Charlotte Street.

Luso will deliver the flavours of the Iberian Atlantic coastline, with a focus on well-sourced ingredients. The menu, developed in collaboration with Portuguese chef and Mugaritz alumnus Leandro (Leo) Carreira, is shaped by the sea, land and centuries-old wood-fired cooking techniques.

The 90-cover restaurant will see the ground floor converted into a seated, 30-cover dining area with an extended limestone-tiled floor.

Dining at Luso

Luso’s opening menu offers a repertoire of modern takes on traditional dishes, from Salt-Baked Wild Sea Bass to Clams à Bulhão Pato. Oven-roasted suckling pig (Leitão) has the caramel-coloured, glass-like skin typical of the Bairrada region. Pregos – steak sliders with brown butter, Portuguese Savora mustard and garlic – will be served at lunchtime until sold out.

A limited number of daily specials, such as Cornish Spider Crab Tartare and Baked Lobster Rice, will be chalked up on a blackboard. Desserts celebrate Portuguese classics, including Tocinho do Céu (almond cake), Chocolate Mousse with olive oil and flor de salt, and baked Pineapple Pudding, served chilled.

The wine list showcases diverse terroirs from the best producers across Portugal, accompanied by a concise cocktail list. Also in the cellar is a unique collection of wines from Herdade do Cebolal in the Alentejo, which are aged under the sea in lobster cages.

On the opening, MJMK co-founders Marco Mendes and Jake Kasumov, say: “This is a proud moment for MJMK – to honour the legacy of Lisboeta and support its evolution into Luso is incredibly special. We’re looking forward to this next chapter for both the team and the restaurant. It’s a sentimental moment being able to bring to London the dishes from the lesser-known parts of Portugal and offer a menu that taps into the crossover with Andalusian, Basque and Galician cooking.”

Nuno Mendes will be leaving to focus on his own exciting projects, award-winning Cozinha das Flores in Porto and Santa Joana in Lisbon, as well as others internationally. Handing over the baton to his long-term friend Leo, Menes’s last service with Lisboeta will take place 23 August. The restaurant will then close for a three-week renovation and training period. 

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