Restaurants, Riviera And Running A Business: The Handbook Chats To Alberto And Arian Zandi
If you’re a fan of our new openings guide, it’s likely you’ve spotted Riviera bursting onto the London restaurant scene this month. The brains behind the Mayfair newbie are brothers, Alberto and Arian Zandi, bringing Mediterranean cool to the UK. We sat down with the duo to talk restaurants, the Riviera and running one of London’s hottest new openings.
Known for bringing the holiday vibe to London, the Zandi brothers are well on their way to growing an impressive restaurant portfolio here in London with names such as Como Garden, Zuaya and El Norte. Riviera is their latest venture, drawing inspiration from the chic restaurants of St Tropez, Cannes, Nice and Antibes, through the interiors, sun-drenched terrace and sharing-style dishes.
We sat down to chat to the entrepreneurs and restaurant owners about their new venture…
Firstly, congratulations on your new venture, Riviera. Tell us, what is your main focus when launching a new restaurant?
We are passionate about creating unique experiences within the hospitality industry. For us this is where our love of business and love for art intersect. We also like to have fun with the diversity of all our different companies – the teams, products and service styles are all so different – which keeps us focused and allows us to be innovative.
As brothers, do you ever have a difference of opinion when it comes to running a business together?
It can be challenging at times, but overall we both agree that we could never imagine going through this journey with anyone else.
Do you have a dish from across all your restaurants that you are most proud of?
Tough one. We both love the dry aged filet steak tartar brioche of El Norte. It has so many interesting elements, from the buttery crunchiness of the brioche to the soft cut of the smoky filet, and the combination of cherry reduction with foie gras. We have an internal joke whereby we call it the “snack of champions.”
Our inspiration is driven by the challenge to achieve a remarkable branded experience, while operating with the resources or limitations a business can have in a given moment.
What advice would you give to someone setting up their own in the hospitality industry?
It’s so hard to just give one piece of advice, but we both agree that simplicity is the key to operating and growing a business, whether that’s simplifying a problem or a strategy. Running a business is very heavy on decision making, and sometimes we can become emotional and lose the intended logical approach, whether that’s down to fear, uncertainty, or anything else. Stripping back and simplifying can ensure you make logical and pragmatic decisions.
What are your tips for hosting a dinner party at home?
Don’t over complicate yourself. Most of the time the simplest, well cooked dishes are the ones that people remember the most.
Do you have any hidden foodie gems in London that you would recommend?
There is a Greek restaurant called Halepi by Lancaster Gate which we both love. It’s a very simple, very small, but the food is truly superb.
Do you have any hidden foodie gems in London that you would recommend?
There is a Greek restaurant called Halepi by Lancaster Gate which we both love. It’s a very simple, very small, but the food is truly superb.
If you didn’t live in London, where would you like to call home?
We’ve had many discussions on this topic and it always proves to be a hard decision. Perhaps New York. As a city it feels like it has the most synergy to London and would be our choice for this point in our lives.
Where is on your travel list for 2023?
We both want to go to Thailand as soon as possible to find inspiration for our next concept which may be there!
We both want to go to Thailand as soon as possible to find inspiration for our next concept which may be there!
Riviera has newly opened in Mayfair, with three main areas – the dining room, an outdoor terrace and a ground-floor bar and lounge.
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