Luso brings modern Portuguese cuisine to Fitzrovia
This September, MJMK Restaurants will open Luso, a new Portuguese restaurant on Charlotte Street, taking the place of Lisboeta.
Developed in collaboration with Portuguese chef Leo Carreira, an alumnus of Mugaritz, Luso will showcase the flavours of the Iberian Atlantic coastline. The menu celebrates exceptional, well-sourced ingredients shaped by the sea, land, and centuries-old wood fire cooking traditions.
From Lisboeta to Luso
The name Luso comes from “Lusitania,” the Roman term for what is now Portugal, and reflects the cultural, culinary, and linguistic heritage the restaurant seeks to embody. The 90-cover site will undergo a three-week renovation in August, with the ground floor reimagined as a 30-cover dining space featuring extended limestone flooring.
As part of this transition, Nuno Mendes will depart to focus on his award-winning projects, including Cozinha das Flores in Porto and Santa Joana in Lisbon, alongside other international ventures. His final service at Lisboeta will be on Saturday 23rd August, after which the restaurant will close for its refurbishment.
MJMK co-founders Marco Mendes and Jake Kasumov described the project as both an evolution and a tribute, they said: “This is a proud moment for MJMK – to honour the legacy of Lisboeta and support its evolution into Luso is incredibly special. We’re looking forward to this next chapter for both the team and the restaurant. It’s a sentimental moment being able to bring to London the dishes from the lesser-known parts of Portugal and offer a menu that taps into the crossover with Andalusian, Basque, and Galician cooking.”
The menu
Luso’s opening menu blends modern creativity with Portuguese tradition. Guests can expect salt baked wild sea bass and clams à Bulhão Pato alongside oven-roasted suckling pig, or Leitão, which will be served with the caramel-coloured, glass-like skin typical of the Bairrada region. Pregos, steak sliders layered with brown butter, Portuguese Savora mustard and garlic, will be offered at lunchtime until sold out.
A blackboard of daily specials will highlight seasonal produce with dishes such as Cornish spider crab tartare and baked lobster rice. Desserts will celebrate Portuguese classics, from Tocinho do Céu, a rich almond cake, to chocolate mousse made with olive oil and flor de sal, as well as baked pineapple pudding, which will be served chilled.
The wine programme at Luso has been curated to showcase Portugal’s most respected producers and the diversity of its terroirs. This selection will sit alongside a smaller number of European wines and a concise cocktail list. One of the highlights of the cellar is a collection from Herdade do Cebolal in the Alentejo, where bottles are aged under the sea in lobster cages, offering a truly distinctive experience for guests.
A new chapter for Portuguese dining in London
With Luso, MJMK and Chef Leo Carreira aim to highlight the culinary traditions of Portugal while also exploring connections with neighbouring Andalusian, Basque and Galician cooking. The restaurant will officially open in September.
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