Latest eatery on Shoreditch's food and drink scene to open for its first season

On September 4, Mãos - the restaurant dining room at Blue Mountain School in Shoreditch - will open for its first public season.

Mãos began by Nuno Mendes and his partner James Brown, founder of Blue Mountain School, following a chance meeting at Nuno’s The Loft project where they discovered a shared interest in redefining the traditional restaurant experience.

On the first floor of Blue Mountain School’s interdisciplinary space, which occupies a six-story townhouse, guests will be served Nuno’s progressive cooking around a communal table, which he describes as being ‘more like a dinner party than a traditional restaurant’.

A glass-surrounded central staircase connects Mãos to the rest of the light-filled Blue Mountain School, which includes Blue Projects, an exhibition space, and Hostem, an archive with a focus on clothing, art and objects.

Nuno said: “We have the immense freedom to be able to produce the food we want to serve, each and every day, which means it’s always exciting for us in the kitchen.

“It’s hospitality in a pure form: an experience at Mãos is truly what the guests make it, which is why it’s so unpredictable and unique each day. Mãos was created with the humble dinner party in mind.

“It’s a space where people can gather around a table and enjoy themselves, engaging with each other and the beautiful space around them.”

Nuno will be joined in the kitchen by head chef Edoardo Pellicano - formerly of Portland and Viajante - and together with Alex Casey, formerly of Sager + Wilde and Viajante, they will welcome up to 16 guests per sitting at ‘matinée’ afternoon services on Saturdays, and dinner throughout the week.