On 8th September, Aram, a new cafe, deli and restaurant from Imad Alarnab, the founder of Imad’s Syrian Kitchen, and co-founders Michalis Ntais and Christos Georgogiannopoulos, will open in Somerset House.
Unlike Imad’s Syrian Kitchen, Aram will serve baked goods, salads, breakfasts and lunches from across the Eastern Mediterranean, with dishes inspired by the regions spanning Syria, Turkey, Cyprus, Jordan and beyond.
In the evenings the dining room will open up as a space for charity events, supper clubs and supporting new talent.
Aram will overlook Somerset House’s River Terrace, and maintain the historic building’s original features. Open for breakfast and lunch, guests will enter via the deli counter piled high with pastries, dips, salads, wraps and breads, with tasty treats such as Zaatar croissants and Halva Brownies and a coffee counter serving Cardamom spiced coffee, Syrian mint tea and Spiced pomegranate fizz.
This room will also be home to a new shop with products from across the Mediterranean, including Medjool dates, Jalapeno shatta, Aram ground coffee, chilli jam and roasted hazelnuts.
The two dining rooms will have large sash windows flooding them with natural light, and serve dishes such as Roasted aubergine salad with chickpeas, confit red pepper, tahini dressing, pomegranate, parsley and dill; Curry cauliflower with rocket, red chilli, parsley and black onion seeds.
Hot dishes include Labneh, poached eggs, grilled sourdough, Aleppo chilli oil and crispy onions; Potato rosti with house cured sumac salmon, poached eggs and coriander oil; and lighter options of French brioche toast with tahini clotted cream and carob molasses syrup; and Granola and date banoffee using date syrup instead of caramel.
The café and restaurant will be open 7 days a week, for breakfast, lunch, coffees and snacks, and joins Somerset House’s new dynamic community of culinary talent based at the arts and cultural destination.
Marking its milestone 25th birthday year, Somerset House is bringing some of London’s most boundary-pushing food and drink talent together under one roof, including Poon’s, the debut restaurant for Amy Poon’s celebrated Chinese heritage food, and Setlist, a new riverside food, music and arts destination championing female talent.
Aram will open its doors on 8th September.
Address: Somerset House, Strand, London, WC2R 1LA
Website: www.arambyimad.co.uk
Instagram: instagram.com/arambyimad
Opening Hours: 08:00-17:00 daily