Kinz sees a 1930s bank and vault transformed into a Lebanese restaurant in Notting Hill

There may be fewer banks in London these days, but quite a lot of those ex-banks are being converted into impressive-looking restaurants. Recently we've had the opening of Aki London in Marylebone and next up is KINZ, a new Lebanese restaurant that's coming to Notting Hill. 

It's been put together by a trio, brothers Jad and Karim Lahoud and Rasha Khouri Bruzzo. The Lahouds, in particular, have been influenced by their parents, who were both chefs. As Jad says "Growing up in London, Karim and I were surrounded by a strong Lebanese community and the food that defines it. With parents who were both chefs, those flavours shaped how we eat and cook today."

Kinz will focus on both classic dishes alongside some more contemporary takes across an all-day menu. That will start with breakfast that includes a Full Lebanese, alongside rolls and sandwiches. For lunch and dinner, there will be plenty of mezze, including baba ghanoush and tabbouleh. As for more substantial dishes, they'll have lamb kafta; warak enab with koussa and lamb cutlet (vine leaves and baby courgettes wrapped around fragrant rice and spiced lamb) and fattet aubergine (baked aubergine layered with pine nuts, tomato, yoghurt and crisp pita).

As for the restaurant itself, it's taking over what was a Lloyds bank, built in the 1930s by architect Sir Edward Maufe (who was also responsible for the most impressive bits of Heal's on Tottenham Court Road). There will be a deli at the front, where they'll have Lebanese provisions and even some pre-prepared frozen dishes to take home, like lamb and pine nut kibbehs.

Then beyond the deli, is the restaurant in what sounds like an extremely impressive triple-height room, with a bar at the back and mezzanine seating above. There looks to be a stripped-back nature to the design that should fit the ex-bank frame very well (see the design above) and they're promising photographs of Lebanon throughout the space by local photographers. There's also a bar downstairs at the back of the restaurant and it wouldn't be making the best use of the ex-bank if they didn't do something with the vault. That's being used as a wine room, which will have "snug dining spaces" and tasting tables. All that and there's a private dining room on the third floor. 

So it's all sounding very impressive visually and there's nothing quite like it on the food front in Notting Hill either. It's definitely one to watch.