Martin Kuczmarski, the restaurateur behind buzzy Mayfair diner The Dover, has announced two new venues: Martino’s, which opens today on Sloane Square, and Dover Street Counter, opening on December 1.
Like The Dover, both Martino’s and Dover Street Counter fuse old-world hospitality with a more modern approach to dining. Martino’s is a paean to Italian trattorias from the ’50s and ’60s, opening from breakfast through to dinner with aperitivo hour in between, while Dover Street Counter takes inspiration from ’50s LA counter-style dining.
In a space designed by Milan’s Studio Drago, featuring polished wood panelling, a cream plaster ceiling and burgundy terrazzo floors, diners at Martino’s can order ricotta pancakes, avocado bruschetta, arrabbiata baked eggs, fresh juices and cornetto pastries for breakfast. At lunch and dinner, the kitchen will dish up pasta (including a short rib tagliatelle), pizza, seafood fritto misto and more. Drinks are divided into aperitivi, soda- or franciacorta-spiked spritzes, and classic cocktails including a Gimlet, a Boulevardier and a “perfect” Manhattan.
When Dover Street Counter opens a couple of doors down from The Dover next week, it’ll take a more contemporary approach – including a ’90s R’n’B playlist. The menu won’t hew to one cuisine; instead, it’ll flit from “disco” fries, buttermilk fried chicken and sandwiches to grilled half lobster and Cajun baby chicken.
The playful drinks menu includes a Cosmo, Tom Collins and Mojito, as well as a Margarita selection that runs from a pineapple and Tajin number to a classic Tommy’s and spicy Marg. The room is centred around a stainless steel bar and kitchen counter, balanced with black lacquered parquet floors and walnut boiserie.
Martino’s and Dover Street Counter are the follow-ups to The Dover, which opened in late 2023 as the first standalone restaurant from Kuczmarski, Soho House’s former chief operating officer.
Martino’s is now open at 37 Sloane Square, SW18 8AN, from Monday to Friday, 8am–midnight, and Saturday and Sunday 9am–midnight. Dover Street Counter opens at 31 Dover Street, W18 4ND, on December 1.
