This November David Muñoz will open the London outpost of his Madrid restaurant, Street XO on Old Burlington Street in Mayfair. Street XO is David Muñoz’s high octane and more accessible younger sibling to Diver XO, Madrid’s only three Michelin starred restaurant.
Like the original Street XO in Madrid, the menu at Street XO London takes inspiration from European, Asian and South American cuisines however most dishes have either a Mediterranean or East Asian back bone. Not for the faint hearted, David’s playful menu aims to shock, surprise and delight diners with bold and gutsy flavours from visually arresting creations.
David has been described as the enfant terrible of Spanish gastronomy, unwavering in his inimitable approach to create dishes that are as familiar as they are unexpected. Refined and intricate dishes which appear like works of art are juxtaposed with the frenetic atmosphere of the restaurant which David likens to a street food market with guests constantly sharing and experiencing new and exciting dishes and interacting directly with chefs. The menu at Street XO will be made up of sharing dishes including:Pekinese dumpling, crunchy pig’s ear and strawberry hoi sin, aioli and gherkins,Steamed club sandwich, ricotta cheese, fried quail egg, shichimi -togarashi,Kimchi croquetas, Tuna steak, burnt butter.
There is little delineation between chefs and waiters at Street XO, both weave in and out from the kitchen and also serve diners delivering table-side creations with some dishes presented on sheets of paper, like a canvas, in front of the diner.
On opening in London, David says:‘After moving to London when I was 21 and spending five years working in restaurants like Nobu and Hakkasan, I feel like this is my second home. Great things have happened for me here and I really grew as a chef working in London kitchens. I’m so excited to now bring a cooking style that I’ve really evolved in Madrid to London.’
Just like the dishes at Street XO, David and his team take a similar gastronomic approach to the cocktail list, ensuring that all drinks are playful and unexpected and provide the right balance of sweet, salt, sour and bitter flavours to compliment dishes. Example cocktails will include:Liquid DiverXO – jasmine, coconut vinegar, lime, ginger and violet essence,The Smoker USA – aged rum, lime juice, cola, cranberry juice, mandarin tea and ginger,Japo, Jerez – smoked pea soda, shiso, miso, yuzu, sake and palo cortado served with flamed street shrimp.
The moody and atmospheric interiors will feature a rich material palette of stained wood, deep red marble and concrete. Exposed pipework and salvaged fixtures from a container ship provide an industrial backdrop to various dramatic artworks and neon light installations.
After entering from Old Burlington Street, guests will be led down to the lower ground floor space where they will be greeted by a large cocktail bar before entering the restaurant where all tables will be facing the theatre of the large open kitchen and a large counter bar for diners to sit at.
Bookings will be available for the tables at Street XO however spaces at the counter will be on a first come, first served basis.
Find out more about David