Mayfair’s Humo launches chef’s table Abajo with multi-chapter menu

Back in January, in an exciting addition to London’s growing oven-free fine dining scene, Humo – a wood-fired kitchen from Colombian-born Miller Prada – opened in the heart of Mayfair. As a protégé of Endo Kazutoshi, the visionary behind Michelin-starred Endo at the Rotunda, the chef promised to bring the precision of Japanese cooking techniques to his new restaurant, priding himself on experimenting with the finest produce to create a culinary experience that is totally unique. Now, with the launch of the intimate chef’s table known as Abajo, Prada aims to guide guests through a carefully curated multi-step menu, with each menu chapter championing a seasonal core ingredient. 

The venture, which is located on St George Street in Mayfair, is led by the newly formed Creative Restaurant Group, co-founded by Misha Zelman (Goodman, Burger & Lobster, Beast, Zelman Meats and Sumi) alongside chef patron Kazutoshi and led by managing director Alex D’Aguiar. Directly translated as “smoke” in Spanish, Humo revolves around a four-meter grill, with no electricity or gas utilised as cooking fuel. All dishes are prepared using a selection of widely sourced woods, imparting subtle flavour differences to each. These include varieties such as juniper branches, white ubame oak, British oak, birch, cherry, walnut, apple and beech from protected wood “farms” in the UK.  

With design from Afroditi, the interiors intend to showcase the ancestral cooking techniques at Humo, ensuring that wood, fire and smoke are woven into every element. The 34-cover restaurant has counter seating surrounding the tailormade robata grill, alongside a selection of tables dotted throughout the space. The new 10-cover chef’s table on the lower ground floor will offer a more intimate dining experience, serving up a curated multi-step menu with a selection of chapters, allowing guests to understand the culture behind every flavour. Diners are invited to sit at the counter, where they can enjoy the chefs skilfully preparing an array of delicate and elevated plates using a bespoke induction worktop. 

Smoke or fire is used in the curation of every item on the menu, and guests can expect theatrical service, with their senses stimulated through both the production and execution of each course. The restaurant concept isn’t centred on a specific cuisine; however, there are some key influences stemming from Prada’s Colombian background, his training for six years at institution Endo at the Rotunda and the heritage of his Italian head chef. This combination of expertise alongside different nationalities and cultures creates an original  dining experience. Hero dishes include Trout & Caviar, which comprises 14-day-aged Ike-Jime Hampshire trout cooked over HP18 oak alongside three-month-aged caviar grilled in kombu kelp; as well as hand-dived Orkney scallop served with Speyside whiskey barrel sabayon and white kombu.

The wine list at Humo has been chosen with quality and specificity in mind, featuring everything from small artisan growers pushing boundaries to age-old traditional producers. The restaurant also offers a wide selection of vegan-friendly low and no-sulphur wines, of the aged Burgundy and Bordeaux variety in particular, as well as a range of champagne, sake and signature cocktails, which are also available as a part of a pairing menu.

With design from Afroditi, the interiors intend to showcase the ancestral cooking techniques at Humo, ensuring that wood, fire and smoke are woven into every element. The 34-cover restaurant has counter seating surrounding the tailormade robata grill, alongside a selection of tables dotted throughout the space. The new 10-cover chef’s table on the lower ground floor will offer a more intimate dining experience, serving up a curated multi-step menu with a selection of chapters, allowing guests to understand the culture behind every flavour. Diners are invited to sit at the counter, where they can enjoy watching the skilful preparation of a delicate and elevated array of plates using a bespoke induction worktop. 

The Food Desk

The Abajo by Humo dining experience starts at £130 per person and offers a choice of three pairings: a wine pairing menu at £90 per person; a drinks pairing at £90 per person; and a non-alcoholic option at £70 per person. To book a table visit Humo’s website here.