The Mondrian Shoreditch has unveiled Christina’s, a new all-day dining and drinking destination situated on the ground floor of the new hotel. Christina’s will pioneer a curated portfolio of home-grown talent and small scale producers across its food and beverage offering by collaborating with noteworthy British purveyors, and will bring award-winning coffee, cocktails, natural wines and katsu sandos to the heart of East London.
Christina’s is designed as a convivial new neighbourhood local; a place to meet like-minded individuals and hang out with friends for work and play, any time of the day. The ever evolving menu will mean that every visit appears unique and will welcome those looking for a haven set against a backdrop of a double height ground floor cafe and bar, designed by award-winning design studio Goddard Littlefair.
“I cannot wait to welcome our first Christina’s guests and I am incredibly proud of the team’s dedication to support independent UK artisans, bringing them to the forefront of the London dining and drinking scene,” says David Lockhart, General Manager at Mondrian Shoreditch. “Our inspiring and unique offering, set in the heart of East London, will be a new oasis for regulars and visitors alike; a place to meet friends and business associates in a relaxed and spirited fashion.”
Throughout the reception lobby and paving the way to the entrance of Christina’s, a pendant light fitting showcases a contemporary interpretation of the gas lanterns that were used as local East London street lights. Within Christina’s, a curved copper bar transforms to the eye using light, altering the ambience throughout the day and a large-scale hand-painted mural by British artist Fred Coppin fills the clay rendered bulkhead above the bar, featuring a collection of objects to discover alongside Fred’s signature botanical shapes.
Opening at 7am every morning, Christina’s will kick start the day with sweet and savoury pastries designed in partnership with Chestnut Bakery. Signature treats will be seen in the form of a miso salted caramel chocolate ganache croissant and the savoury ham & cheese pastry.
Thoughtful and conscious partnerships are at the heart of the new menu; a stylish coffee bar celebrates a collaboration with Redemption Roasters, the specialist coffee company known for their work in prisons, training offenders in competition-level barista skills with the aim of reducing reoffending in the UK. Led by Head Barista Aylin Akac (whose past tenures include Man vs Machine in Munich and Standby Espresso in Perth, Australia) Redemption Roasters has created a bespoke Christina’s coffee blend and will showcase an evolving single origin batch coffee featuring washed and natural ethically sourced beans along with a full menu including classic favourites.
From lunchtime to late into the evenings, Christina’s will offer an eclectic Sando menu; a twist on the iconic Japanese sando featuring a 72 hour slow fermented Tokyo milk bread and incorporating Italian flavours and ingredients with a British eccentricity to create a menu with signature dishes including a playful take on a spicy fried chicken sando, along with a classic egg & mayo sando, deep fried mortadella katsu sando, aubergine parmigiana sando and an ‘everyday’ steak sando. There’s also a luxurious wagyu beef katsu sando (limited numbers per day) – plus a fruit & cream sando with matcha milk bread.
The bar at Christina’s, spearheaded by the appointment of Beverage Consultant Marcis Dzelzainis, is influenced by Italian Aperitivo drinks culture but with a British twist. An award-winning mixologist and bar consultant, Dzelzainis has opened some of the most iconic drinking spots in London, namely Zetter Townhouse, Satan’s Whiskers and Dandelyan, as well as having co-founded Idyll Drinks. Dzelzainis’ ethos is built around the concept of working with UK suppliers who embrace small scale production methods, alongside sustainable practices whilst celebrating rewilding, regenerative farming and foraging; his menu for Christina’s highlights wild ingredients as a way of connecting with nature as a vehicle for positive ecological change whilst minimising waste. Signature cocktails will include the hero serve, an Oyster shell vermouth and martini in collaboration with Victory Distillery which will sit alongside unique blends including a Birch Bark Martini, Wild Nettle Spritz, Yuzu Negroni, Wild Meadow Sour and an Espresso Martini.
In keeping with Christina’s passion for sustainability and quality, Dzelzainis has created a supplier list of British artisans such as small batch vermouth producers including Ostara Vermouth who specialise in wild botanicals such as meadowsweet and hawthorn, the local East London Liquor Company, Peckham based award-winning Kanpai Sake, Northumberland based Hepple Gin, Modal natural wine and a selection of craft beers. Alcoholic options are complemented by the likes of Pine Forest Soda from Idyll Drinks, Rapscallion soda who specialise in fresh fruit, low calorie sodas, Townsend Farm juices and the independently run Rare Tea Co. No and Low options will be led by Three Spirits and Pentire.
“Curating the drinks menu for Christina’s has allowed for me to continue to work towards creating a carbon positive framework for the hospitality industry, a true celebration of our relationship with nature and placing the greatest emphasis on sustainability and a transparent supply chain reducing waste and miles,” says Dzelzainis. “I am so proud to be able to support independent producers who share my passion for embracing the practices of rewilding, foraging and regenerative farming along with focusing on natural and organic ingredients. I cannot wait to welcome our first guests for an Aperitif and to showcase our unique drinks offering of which cannot be found anywhere else in the capital”.
The natural wine menu features a range of organic and biodynamic wines curated by Modal Wines – with a focus on small scale producers and wines made with as little interference in the vineyards and cellar as possible.
Christina’s is a characterful addition to the nuanced East London; a 45-seater cultural hub with a seamless and memorable experience from dawn to dusk.
The restaurant will open August 2nd, and will be open Sunday – Wednesday from 7am-midnight and Thursday – Saturday from 7am-1am.
For more information, head over to Christina’s official website.
Earlier this week, Mondrian Shoreditch London announced another restaurant opening inside the hotel will be Chef Dani García’s first culinary concept in the UK, BIBO.
