An Eastern European chophouse opening in a crypt wasn’t on our bingo card for 2026 – but that’s the idea behind Elezar. It will open on November 2 in the crypt of the 18th-century St George’s Church on Mayfair’s Hanover Square – once home to Aldo Zilli’s Italian restaurant Undercroft – and reflect the heritage of its team: restaurateur Misha Zelman (who founded Burger & Lobster and Mayfair steakhouse Goodman), head chef Erik Miotto (ex-Cycene and Tom Brown at the Capital), who has Ukrainian heritage, and consulting chef David Bury (Niju), who will draw on his Polish roots.
The menu will revolve around classic Eastern European techniques like pickling, fermenting and preserving, as well as in-house butchery and raw fish carving. It kicks off with snacks to devour after drinking – open sandwiches on rye topped with slabs of butter and anchovy, herring or caviar; pairing with vodka is encouraged. Hot and cold starts include pierogi filled with cheese or beef and mushrooms, and a mackerel tartare, while mains range from bone-in tuna ribeye, pork chop on smoked parsnip and various cuts of steak. Every main sits at £28, encouraging diners to choose according to preference not price (no need to order the second-cheapest item on the menu the day before payday, here). There’ll also be sides like sauerkraut and hasselback potatoes with dill and garlic.
Drinks will also draw on Eastern European influences – starting with a pickle Martini and a Fernet Spritz made with Czech Fernet. There’s also Polish wine; cocktails made with Polish, Hungarian, Serbian and Ukrainian vodka; and Czech beer. Head of wine Merlin Ramos’s list swings from France to the Balkans, and includes a claret on tap.
While details of the space itself are light on the ground right now, meat fridges holding carcasses and dry-aged meats will sit in the centre of the room; counter seating will face towards the chefs at work carving the meat.
“With more than 30 years in steakhouses and beef, and long-standing relationships with the best farmers and suppliers, I want to bring everything I have learnt into this project,” Zelman said in a statement. “And buying whole carcasses and whole fish allows us to offer something very important to me: fair prices.”
Elezar opens on November 2 at The Vestry, 2A Mill Street, W1S 1FX. Bookings open next week.
