Raf’s is one of those cult New York restaurants that in-the-know visitors secure long before the plane touches down at JFK. This summer, the restaurant has taken its coveted tables on the road, thanks to a partnership with hotel and hospitality group Raffles – and London is next.
Founded by sisters Jennifer and Nicole Vitagliano with executive chef Mary Attea, is a downtown spot known for its European café-society aesthetic, with wood-fired ovens dating back to 1935 that are used to create Italian-French dishes.
A bakery by day – serving breakfast, brunch, and lunch – come evening, the bistro-style space becomes into a more intimate dining room, with waiters whizzing around just 11 tables packed with restaurant obsessives and a stylish off-duty fashion crowd. Refreshingly, the restaurant is often sans the influencers Manhattanites have had enough of, thanks to its dim lighting and strict no-flash photography policy.
After stopping at Le Bar Long inside Le Royal Monceau Raffles Paris during Paris Fashion Week and Raffles Boston in July, Raf’s is arriving at Saison by Mauro Colagreco at Raffles London at The OWO this September, coinciding with London Fashion Week.
More collaboration than pop-up, this isn’t a case of just importing the New York menu. Attea and the Raf’s team will team up with chef Mauro Colagreco and the Saison kitchen for a two-day, four-hands dinner that brings the personalities of both restaurants to the table.
The evening begins with small bites from each team before moving into a mix of signature dishes, spanning French, Italian, modern, and traditional cooking. Raf’s will serve mortadella and Taleggio arancini, alongside Saison’s cheddar and black truffle tostadas.
For the main course, there’s Raf’s leek vinaigrette with creamy stracciatella and hazelnuts, alongside whole dorade with Castelvetrano olives, as well as pork chops with cherry peppers. Saison takes a more traditional approach with skate meunière and chicken Cordon Bleu, plus lobster bolognese with sauce Américaine.
“Raf’s has always been about bringing people together around a well-set table, so a residency at Saison by Mauro Colagreco feels like a natural extension of that spirit,” says Jennifer and Nicole Vitagliano, founders of Raf’s. “Chef Colagreco and his team share our love of seasonality and craft, and we’re thrilled to bring a taste of NoHo to London during Fashion Week.”
For Raf’s fans abroad, dessert is the most anticipated course, as the restaurant brings some of its famed signatures to London, including the caramelized white chocolate budino. Dishes will be served on custom branded Ginori 1735 tableware, with a selection of exclusive pieces created for the collaboration.
The London residency marks the final stop on Raf’s summer tour and will run for just two days, from September 18 to 19. Tables, unsurprisingly, are expected to be in short supply.
