"Like a Rustic Small Town Square You Stumble Upon on Holiday" — How Notting Hill's Romantic Lebanese Restaurant KINZ Mastered the Art of Indoor-Outdoor Dining
We spent a morning at Jad and Karim Lahoud and Rasha Khouri Bruzzo's recently opened new eatery to learn the secrets of its bathing-in-sunshine Mediterranean scheme
The vaulted ceiling and arched mezzanine aisles at KINZ could easily pass for those of a restored basilica — at least until you learn the Grade II-listed 1930s building, designed by Sir Edward Maufe at 50 Notting Hill Gate, was once a Lloyds Bank. Its past is far more profane than the space suggests at first glance. But an unconditional devotion to Lebanon's home cooking and heirloom recipes turns sibling entrepreneurs Jad and Karim Lahoud and Rasha Khouri Bruzzo's recently unveiled new restaurant into a temple to emotional dining all the same.
When we visit the eatery at the end of June, it's not yet midday, and warm rays of sunshine draw geometrical lines onto its tiled flooring, cutting through the wide tracery windows placed near its roof and bouncing off the stone in a warm, suffused glow. One of this year's most exciting London restaurant openings, KINZ unfolds as a progression of seamlessly connected rooms anchored in organic materials, delicate hues, and timelessly beautiful furniture. It boasts a private dining room seating up to 16 guests, with pomegranate-inspired plastered sculptural ceilings, cream zellige tiles, embroidered curtains, and earthenware vessels echoing Lebanon's own atmosphere and capturing a sense of intentional domesticity.
An even more intimate experience awaits inside the bank's original, upcycled vault, now repurposed as a dimly lit cellar and wine tasting room, where crystal sconces and lacquered surfaces infuse the space with glamour. But it's KINZ's interior scheme — al fresco charm without the punishing London summer heat — that makes this all-day brasserie feel like exactly what its name promises: a treasure. Like its sibling establishment, Palestinian eatery Akub, KINZ was imagined by London design studio Fare Inc.. Below, founder Annie Harrison tells us about the process and the choice of finishes, lighting, and materials that helped them shape its indoor-outdoor aesthetic.
What Specific Interior Choices Helped You Craft KINZ's Current Airy Layout?
Paint, furniture, and material choices can all help you build a scheme that lets the outdoors in.
"The building at KINZ was always very bright, but we highlighted this with simple neutral paint for a summery outdoors atmosphere. To make it even more garden-like, we enriched the wrought iron staircase leading diners upstairs with stained glass dowels, and placed juxtaposed glossy white and red tables to further the glow."
What Are Some of the Best Furniture Options for an Indoor Garden Feel?
The table we sat at during our meal at KINZ, lit up by warm lanterns and sconces, and wrapped in potted greenery.
"For the dining room at KINZ, we selected stripe upholstery, a trendy outdoor furniture choice that instantly gives a garden-like feel, but is actually also found quite often on banquette seating throughout Lebanese terraces, in between arches, and under lovely canopies. Here, it was implemented across artisanal chairs, curved sofas, and characterful ottomans, with many of the pieces crafted by local makers.
"To complement the look, we've styled more traditional Lebanese vessels alongside large photography of Beirut locals — a combination that strikes a beautiful balance between heritage, locality, and contemporary minimalism, something you wouldn't expect to find in an old bank in Notting Hill."
Lighting Was Also Key. What Can You Tell Us About It?
The combination of wrought iron and warm stained glass of KINZ's staircase echoes the facades of historical palaces in Lebanon as well as in the wider Mediterranean.
"For the restaurant design of KINZ, we wanted an impactful light feature hovering over the central space without it feeling too commercial or overbearing.
"Lanterns give a much more atmospheric feeling — as if strung high over a rustic small town square you stumble upon on holiday — where locals gather, play games, dine, and drink at all times of the day. The red color of the main lamp was chosen to balance the red tables below and contrast against the very neutral white walls."
What Impressions Do You Hope KINZ to Leave to Those Who Come Visit?
"Lanterns give a much more atmospheric feeling — as if strung high over a rustic small town square you stumble up on holiday — where locals gather, play games, dine, and drink at all times of the day."
"I hope that people leave KINZ feeling like they've experienced Lebanon with a sense of warmth and ease that makes them want to stay a little longer, and that they remember the atmosphere and feeling of the space as part of their memory of the meal."
Tempted by KINZ? So were we, even before realizing how good the food is. Start the meal off right with a cucumber cooler, one of the restaurant's zingy mocktails, packed with honey, lime, mint, and Fever-Tree Soda.
Next, it's time for some sharing bites — the creamy walnut and tahini cod fillets and the moreish pumpking 'kibbeh', shells stuffed with spinach, onions and walnuts, were my lunch highlights, while social media editor Abla Fahmi found her latest guilty pleasure in KINZ's djej wa toum chicken 'sandweechet', filled with sweet slow-cooked chicken and pickles and toum garlic sauce, and served in a hot baguette.
The aromatic stuffed vine leaves and baby courgettes make for a hearty treat, while the generously sized super food salad will give you the nutrients and freshness needed to get through yet another heatwave. Sadly, we failed to keep some space left for dessert, which alone is a good-enough reason to head back to KINZ.
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