Sketch owner and ex Savoy head bartender open site in London

The restaurateur behind two of Mayfair’s most famous restaurant-bars, Mourad Mazouz, has teamed up with a former head bartender at the Savoy’s American Bar in London to help him realise his dream of launching his own venue this week.

Erik Lorincz is returning to London to head up the new at  high-end north African Momo restaurant, the sister restaurant to Mazouz’a Michelin-starred resto Sketch.

Kwānt (the phonetic spelling of ‘Quaint’, according to an emailed statement), is the first solo venture from multi-award winning bartender Erik Lorincz, who helped bring The Savoy’s American Bar to the number one spot at The World’s 50 Best Bar Awards in 2017.

Lorincz joined the American Bar as head bartender when the hotel re-launched after an extensive refurbishment in 2010. It was named the best bar in Europe under his stewardship in the 2016 in the World’s 50 Best Bars list, placing second in the world behind New York’s Dead Rabbit.

Erik Lorincz, formerly of The American Bar at The Savoy (photo: The Savoy)

He left in May of last year after nearly eight years of service, telling the drinks business that he had ambitions of launching a venue of his own.

The new bar comes as Momo celebrates 22 years of business, “and will include extended terraces and newly sumptuous interiors,” a spokesperson said, as well as new 19th Century-inspired cocktail bar Kwānt.