Studio Paskin

A couple of weeks ago, we had our first trip of the year to Hayman's Distillery with team members from The Barbary Neal's Yard, The Barbary Notting Hill and The Blue Posts.   The wonderful team at Hayman Distillers | B Corp™ gave us a tour of the distillery and taught us about the history of gin and the story behind their family company. We got to learn all about their botanicals and distillation process, followed by a delicious tasting of their range. Read about our experience below! To everyone at Hayman's - thank you for hosting us. We can't wait to go back with more of the team.

🍴 Notes from the dining room 🍴   January blues are tough, but they have nothing on our teams and their ability to turn around someone's day. It's been a joy to hear about our guests' fantastic experiences across our sites over the past month – they've brightened our gloomy winter days!   From our lovely returning guests to all the friendly new faces that have walked through our doors, thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us.   Our chefs are busy developing new dishes with all the bountiful Spring produce that is just around the corner… Stay tuned for more.

Such an honour to retain our 1 Michelin Star for another year with The MICHELIN Guide. A tremendous thank you to our team who work tirelessly to deliver an exceptional dining experience. Thank you to our wonderful guests who join us at our 12-seat counter every evening. We look forward to celebrating with you all!

'We wanted to carry The Barbary's core identity, but do something that's very much unique to this moment, this time, and this location.' Housed in a Grade II-listed corner site on Westbourne Grove, you can find The Barbary Notting Hill.

As we look ahead to 2025, we’ve been reflecting on what we’re loving and what we’re ready to leave behind. Some traditions are worth keeping and some habits… not so much!   From menu must-try's to remembering to look after ourselves following the holidays, here’s what’s in, what’s out, and what we’re looking forward to as we start the year with plenty of flavour and fun.   IN → Getting a naan AND a bagel at The Barbary Neal's Yard, because why not both? → Talking to our chefs when you're dining on the counter. They love a good chat! → Planning your hospo post-Christmas staff party with us. We've got you covered – reach out to events@studiopaskin.com. → Enjoying dry January with a Paloma '00' or a Sirocco from The Palomar.     OUT ← Giving dessert a 'maybe next time'. Treat yourself to our Walnut & Date Choux! Exclusively at The Barbary Notting Hill. ← Googling the menu instead of asking your waiter – you're missing out on their fantastic recommendations. ← Feeling uninspired by veg dishes. Try our renowned Barbary Chilli Cauliflower or our Palomar Baby Cucumber salad to understand the hype. ← Forgetting to prioritise your mental health. We partner with Kelly's Cause, a leading mental health charity in hospitality to lend you an ear or signpost you to the resources and services you might need.

🍴 Notes from the dining room 🍴 New year, same us – but new series!   December is one of the busiest times in hospitality, and our incredible teams went above and beyond to care for our guests. It’s wonderful to see how their hard work and passion created so many memorable experiences and raised over £6,000 for StreetSmart! We couldn’t be prouder.   We love hearing from our guests – your thoughtful feedback shows us where we’re succeeding and helps us grow. We enjoy it so much that we’ve decided to turn it into a series! Every couple of weeks, we’ll be sharing some of our latest guest reviews to celebrate our teams.   To kick things off, here are some of the lovely things our guests had to say about their visits over the holidays. A big thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and to our fantastic teams for making it all possible.

⭐ Studio Paskin Spotlight Series ⭐   Meet Tony Elias Boumadi, Head of Security at The Blue Posts since its opening in 2017. Having worked with our founders Zoë and Layo since 1996, Tony has been a cornerstone of Studio Paskin for over seven years. From keeping everyone safe and cracking jokes to occasionally lending a hand with the plumbing, Tony is the glue that holds Rupert Street together. We’ve asked him a few questions about his journey with us.   🔹How has The Blue Posts changed in the past seven years? I'm the last man standing! Back in the day, The Blue Posts had a secret room and a small kitchen with two chefs at the end of the bar. The Mulwray was a cocktail bar with a saloon door and Evelyn's Table was à la carte. The space works much better now and it’s warmer – we have regulars who come in every night. Over time, I’ve taken on hosting for Evelyn’s Table. It allows me to show a different side of myself at work – greeting people with a smile, making conversation and joking around. But even then, I have to remain observant because in a split second, I might have to run to the door and switch from 'Nice Tony' to 'Tough Tony'!   🔹What are you most proud of in your career so far? I never thought of it as 'pride' – it's my job to keep everyone safe. Instead, when I look after somebody in need I think to myself 'Well done Tony, you did well looking after that person.' I've always liked helping people. Back in Lebanon, I volunteered with the fire brigade and Red Cross since I was 16. When I moved to the UK at 18, I couldn't join the fire brigade so security was the next best way to look after people.   🔹What's your favourite dinner you've had at the group? (Laughs) I don’t mean to betray Evelyn's Table, but for me it's The Barbary Neal's Yard. Moroccan cigars, steak (if it's on the menu), and Rioja – always.   🔹What makes Studio Paskin special? Zoë and Layo really value honesty, loyalty, how much you care about the guests and staff – you'll go a long way if you share the same values. Not every company appreciates these things like they do.   📣 Tony’s top tip for staying safe when you’re out: Keep watch of your belongings and don’t let strangers buy you drinks.

What a phenomenal year 2024 was. Our team grew by 40%, The Barbary Notting Hill opened its doors on September 12th, and a grand total of 113,474 guests visited our restaurants.   Some highlights include:   ⭐ 18,935 naans ordered in The Barbary Neal's Yard ⭐ 624 services at Evelyn's Table ⭐ 87,345 pints drunk at The Blue Posts ⭐ 10,142 Chicken Labanieh were devoured at The Palomar   To all the team members who make each and every service possible, and to the guests that have joined us - thank you, thank you.

⭐ Studio Paskin Spotlight Series ⭐   Introducing Rah, our star Head Sommelier at The Barbary Notting Hill. He started his journey with us as a Sommelier at Evelyn's Table, charming every guest with true hospo magic – a strong presence, captivating storytelling and genuine care. Rah talks us through how he got to where he is today.   🔹How did you get into wine? By accident! I stumbled into restaurants accidentally and quickly found out I really enjoyed the industry. At the first restaurant I worked at, Goodman's in Mayfair, the Sommelier noticed I picked up things very quickly. In my first year there, he made me try every bottle we opened. Over time, I started to focus more on wine and it naturally clicked – I realised it was the route I wanted to go down.   🔹Since then, who’s been the most influential person in your career? A lady called Helen, my first GM at Goodman’s. She's now Group Ops, I think. It was my first job as a waiter, but you're meant to be quite a good professional waiter by the time you get there. I had a terrible trial shift – I knew nothing about food! But she saw that I was good with people and she gave me a chance.   🔹You recently had dinner at The Barbary Notting Hill – what’s a must-try dish? The brown butter sashimi, that definitely stood out.   🔹And what’s your go-to drink at The Blue Posts? Pint of Guinness. No questions asked.   🔹What does hospitality mean to you now? Maybe it's not too grand of an idea, breaking bread and sharing wine! It's been done for millennia. But I've worked in a few industries outside of hospitality, and seeing people do something so natural as eating and drinking - it's a lovely thing to be part of.   Getting to work with wine is a really fun thing to do – the bare bones of it is that I get people to have a good time. It's about trying to put out good energy in the universe, trying to leave the world a bit better than you found it by making people's days a bit brighter.

The beginning of The End. "It was a very underground scene when The End first opened, so to turn that into a business was another matter entirely. People falling in love with the dance floor was one element, making it work at the bank was another." A multi award-winning cultural institution, The End broke many of the biggest acts in the years between 1995-2009, influencing club culture for all of its 13 years. What follows is the story of Studio Paskin today.