Balls & Company, the first Soho restaurant to offer a gourmet meatball focused menu, will open this June on Greek Street.
The bold 50-cover restaurant is the brainchild of Australian-born chef Bonny Porter who, having worked at top restaurants in her home country, including Rockpool Bar and Grill and Manly Wine by Gazebo (both in Sydney, Australia), moved to London two years ago, where she has since worked in the kitchen at The Arts Club in Mayfair and Village East in Bermondsey.
Bonny and her team hope to bring something completely new to the London casual dining scene, shaking up the current meat-heavy ‘dude food’ trend in the capital with a bit of ‘class, pomp and circumstance’. The humble meatball has for a long time been locked into memories of average spaghetti dishes, bad school dinners and visits to Ikea; with Balls & Company, Bonny hopes to add a touch of finesse and elevate them to culinary excellence, all with a commitment to freshness, provenance and traceability.
Split across two floors, the ground floor at Balls & Company will be exclusively for dining, seating up to 30 guests, whilst downstairs will be a more intimate space, with a bar and dining for up to 20. The basement bar will serve a carefully chosen wine list, with a focus on family-owned and sustainable vineyards from across the world, all of which will be available by the glass, carafe and bottle.
Paying homage to Bonny’s home country, the interior of Balls & Company brings a little bit of Australia to Soho, with a laid-back, stylish and inviting design. On the ground floor, design duo Holly Pigott and Madeleine Girling have embraced natural light, complimented by touches of greenery, with sporadic glints of copper as homage to Mauviel.
The basement room offers a more edgy underground vibe perfect for casual drinks and nibbles with friends. The design of the restaurant is given an additional edge with an impressive ceiling installation inspired by British-Indian sculptor, Anish Kapoor, and his works creating illusions through refracting light and sound.
Balls & Company will open for lunch and dinner, Monday to Saturday, this June on Greek Street in Soho.
