Big changes are afoot at the newly unveiled Singular Concepts as it gathers a roster of award-winning brands under one umbrella
They're the brains behind much-loved venues like The Daily Tot, Tell Camellia and Barcode, but for the past two years, restaurateurs David Sit, Arnaud Pothier and Tiana Ludhani, together with Christopher Chan and Gagan Gurung, have functioned as a loosely defined collective. Now, they're making it official with the unveiling of Singular Concepts, a bonafide hospitality group that brings all of these venues under a single umbrella.
With a mission to foster "a culture of genuine hospitality with a hedonistic obsession", Singular Concepts brings the founders' wide-ranging stable of brands under a formalised umbrella, the large majority of which were launched in the midst of the pandemic.
They bring a diverse set of experiences into the mix. Sit, a financier, made his first foray into F&B with the opening of Whisky & Words in 2018, before partnering with Ludhani to launch The Daily Tot in 2020, and later with Pothier to bring Zzura, a Middle Eastern speakeasy, to life. Gurung and Chan are best known for exploring new approaches to mixology with Tell Camellia and Barcode.
Coinciding with the announcement of the new hospitality group is the debut of Entourage, a refurbished 75-foot pleasure yacht that available for private charters for up to 50 people. Featuring a full bar top, DJ set-up, deck and rooms, the watercraft also offers food and drink packages catered by Singular Concepts' brick-and-mortar venues.
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Another flagship opening is Bianco & Rosso, a self-described "house of vermouth" now welcoming guests on Gough Street. The gastrobar delves into the intricacies of vermouth, a category of wines fortified with wormwood and other botanicals and commonly found in cocktails. Taking inspiration from the bars and bodegas that dot the historic cycling routes of France, Italy and Spain, Bianco & Rosso debuts with a cocktail programme by industry veteran Luca Andrei, featuring concoctions like Apfel Strudel (vodka, homemade apple wine, Mancino Secco, citrus, honey) and The Super Panky (gin, Mancino Rosso, chestnut, orange oil, Suze).
Chef Ban Jee Min, formerly of La Petite Maison Miami and Dubai, channels the flavours of the Aegean Sea into the menu of sharing plates designed to pair with the complexities of vermouth. Highlights include salmon cornetto with avocado and Calabrian chilli, as well as the signature burrata and summer truffle tartine.
