Nobu Hotel to open in east London

Celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa is to expand his growing hospitality empire with a hotel in east London, slated to open in 2016.

Nobu Matsuhisa

Initially scheduled to open this year, the launch date for Nobu Hotel Shoreditch, Matsuhisa’s first in Europe, has been pushed back to early 2016.

Operating under a long-term management agreement between Nobu Hospitality and Willow Corp Sarl, which owns the building,156-room hotel is located on Willow Street in Shoreditch.

Its five stories are fractured into angular concrete balconies, which, combined with steel beams, form a seemingly frayed edge to the northern facade.

Artistic impression of what the Nobu Hotel Shoreditch will look like

Using printed, layered glass, the reflective façade balances privacy and exposure and interacts with its surroundings through the interplay of colour and light.

Designed by Ben Adams Architects and Studio PCH, interiors will blend east and west.

“The Nobu Hotel Shoreditch is a critical and valuable chapter in the ongoing evolutionary tale of London,” developer Meir Abutbul said

As you’d expect, both the food and drink offering will be devised by Nobu himself.

Nobu currently oversees the operation of two Nobu restaurants in London – the flagship on Park Lane and sister site, Nobu Berkeley Square.

The first Nobu Hotel opened in Caesars Palace in Las Vegas last year. Due to open in the Saudi Arabian capital in early 2014, Nobu Hotel Riyadh is still under development.

Also scheduled to open this year are the Nobu Hotel City of Dreams in Manilla, the Nobu Hotel Eden Roc Miami Beach and Nobu Hotel Chicago as the Nobu Hospitality group undergoes an aggressive expansion plan.

Known for his fusion cuisine blending traditional Japanese dishes with Peruvian ingredients, Nobu’s signature dish is black cod marinated in miso sauce.

In addition to London, Nobu has restaurants in Melbourne, Mexico City, Moscow, Cape Town, New York and Beijing.