Press release | Restaurant opening Penelopes

Penelope's is the name of the new restaurant in the recently opened Hotel AMANO located in London's vibrant Covent Garden. The hotel is the first international establishment of the Berlin hotel group. The new restaurant combines Spanish and Israeli cuisine with the delicacy of Berlin and London. It will open on 1 December 2022.

London, October 2022. Alongside monthly parties at the new Penelope's restaurant in London, an extensive menu of Israeli-Spanish inspired dishes with flavours that shaped Ariel Schiff, the co-founder of AMANO, while he grew up between Tel Aviv and southern Spain.
In the German capital, the AMANO Group's monthly ISRAMANI parties have become a popular and well-run series of events. The parties are often sold out within minutes. At these events in Berlin Mitte, Levante menus in family style and good drinks are served in a relaxed atmosphere. Most of the time, guests start to dance on the chairs already before the main course. The London AMANO team is now in the process of establishing a similar new party concept at Penelope's in Covent Garden: Mediterranean Nightlife in London's West End. Israeli songs that are certainly unfamiliar to most, but don't let anyone keep their feet still and put them into a joyful mood. All this is now to take place in the new restaurant Penelope's.

Shimon Peretz, the creative director and head chef of the renowned AMANO restaurant Mani in Berlin, and Fezile Ozalgan, head chef at Penelope's, bring Ariel Schiff's culinary memories to life. Ozalgan has previous experience with London-based Spanish chef and author Jose Pizarro at the Aegean-influenced Hovarda, also in London, and Levante restaurant Barboun in Shoreditch.
Guests at Penelope's can look forward to tapas dishes such as Israeli-style paella with whole lobster, frekkeh and gin tomato sauce, Israeli sofrito with pulled chicken and laffa bread, and carpaccio of Iberico ham with raw tahini and pomegranate syrup. On the occasion of the opening of Penelope's, Ariel Schiff says: ''Penelope's is truly a matter of the heart for me. Not only is it named after my daughter, but both Spain and Tel Aviv have a very special place in my heart. We're bringing something completely new to London, which is very exciting - in Berlin, fun comes first, and we want to offer the same experience to Londoners and everyone else who will visit the restaurant.

The effortless nonchalance of the AMANO Group is present at Penelope's. The restaurant has a beautiful design and look, with special fabrics and materials, mood lighting, mirrored ceilings and seating areas that create an extravagant feel, similar to a theatre show. The soft mood of the dining room is created by velvet and leather, chandeliers with tassels and feather motifs - all around flows the textured wallpaper Wonderwoods by Arte, creating a magical realist backdrop of bird silhouettes and plants. A raised platform and private dining areas add drama and the opportunity to retreat to observe the 'theatre'. Since opening in early summer 2022, Hotel AMANO Covent Garden has attracted Londoners and visitors alike with its basement bar and late-night rooftop terrace. Penelope's now brings a breath of fresh air to the London party scene.

The AMANO Group is a Berlin-based hotel company that currently owns eleven hotels, including eight in Berlin, one in Düsseldorf, one in Munich and one in London. The hotel project in Leipzig is under construction, and three more hotels are planned in Hamburg and Munich. Founded in 2009 by the Süsskind, Schiff and Rokeach families, the AMANO Group aims to design hotels that are integrated into the cultural life of the city. Therefore, all houses follow the standard concept of offering sophisticated urban living in a central location at a fair price. This includes interior design and a level of service that far exceeds the three-star standard. With trend-setting gastronomy concepts such as restaurants, bars and a club as well as several roof terraces, the AMANO Group creates a lively exchange between the city and the hotel.