Where Chefs Eat: Mitch Orr’s London Hit List

When Broadsheet speaks to Mitch Orr, he’s in London for the first time in eight years. He’s visiting the UK capital to do research for the venues he’s leading in Sydney’s new 25 Hours The Olympia Hotel. That includes an outpost of London’s Med-inspired restaurant The Palomar, which is known for produce-driven dishes that work to the seasons.

The Palomar is one of several venues overseen by Orr in the new Oxford Street hotel, and the ex- Kiln and Acme chef is working closely with London’s Studio Paskin to bring its venues “to life” in Sydney. It opens this coming Thursday, October 9, on the same day the London original celebrates its 10th anniversary.

On his London trip, Orr was immersed in the Studio Paskin ethos and, naturally, its venues – which also include chef’s table fine-diner Evelyn’s Table, North African-inspired restaurant The Barbary and wine bar The Mulwray.

“It’s not so much about coming to take inspiration from [Paskin’s] other venues. It’s about delivering their vision to Sydney,” Orr tells Broadsheet. Along with The Palomar, he will oversee a spinoff of The Mulwray, plus cafe Jacob the Angel and rooftop restaurant Monica.

“We think about hospitality in the same way. They like working with small producers and being really seasonal, and that’s how I like to work.”

Orr only had five days in London, limiting how long he could spend checking out his favourite spots. “I haven’t had time to hit all the new spots that have opened in between visits.”

Among the venues he won’t manage to tick off his wishlist are Norbert’s, in the leafy south-east London neighbourhood of East Dulwich, where Australian chef Jack Coghlan turns out rotisserie chooks; East London restaurant and wine bar Planque; celebrated chef Jackson Boxer’s stable of restaurants (which includes buzzy Notting Hill diner Dove); and longstanding East London favourites like Spanish-inspired Brat and neighbourhood bolthole Brawn.

Despite his dip-in, dip-out trip, he managed to hit a few new and old favourites while in London. Here’s where he ate.

Beigel Bake, Brick Lane

“I had a salt beef bagel, so I’ve ticked that box,” says Orr of visiting the 40-plus-year-old East End joint that’s open 24/7 for chewy, London-style bagels. “The salt beef bagel is so nostalgic to me, it’s something I have every time I’m in London. I started having it when I first came, when I was a young idiot and I was drinking more. The last time I was here I was staying literally opposite Beigel Bake, so I had one for breakfast every morning.”

The Palomar, Soho

“I had a pork chop at The Palomar last night, and the fat was so sweet and delicious,” says Orr of the restaurant he’s helping bring to Sydney. “I’ve eaten there a couple of times now. Most of my meals have been in [Studio Paskin] venues, and they’ve all been really delicious. I think the food and the style of what they do is very translatable to Sydney – it’s share food that’s really easy and approachable and delicious.”

Rochelle Canteen, Shoreditch

“It’s one of my favourite spots, I have to go there every time I come.” The restaurant, set in a former school canteen and its surrounding gardens, is a perpetual favourite among Londoners for its simple, seasonal cooking led by well-regarded chef Margot Henderson. “Where better to sit than Rochelle Canteen in the summertime?”

Kol, Marylebone and Ikoyi, The Strand

“I’m going to see Santiago Lastra at Kol,” says Orr. Kol is a Michelin-starred Mexican restaurant. Orr also name-drops Ikoyi, a two Michelin-starred West African-inspired restaurant.

“They’re obviously really big-ticket names but you want to try and tick off one or two of them. When you’ve travelled all this way, you want to go and see the hype and experience it.”

The Palomar Sydney opens at 7 Oxford Street, Paddington, on Thursday October 9, 2025.

thepalomar.com.au