The Hottest Communist Restaurant in London
Plus: techno club hospitality and AI that finds you friends
Welcome to Small Talk, an email I serve out every Monday morning exclusively to our Breakfast Club members in NYC and Charleston. The premise is simple: my top of mind topics for the week’s worth of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners ahead anytime some chatter is required. From now on, I’ll be sharing it with subscribers of The Supersonic as well. Enjoy, and crib topics as necessary.
This one goes out to my fellow southpaws: a funny little essay came across my desk last week about the plight of being a left-handed diner, like the fact that we often self-relegate to Siberia at the end of the table so as not to bump elbows with the rest of our invariably right-handed party. Turns out, servers at the best restaurants often spot us right away and immediately employ the Left-Hand Switch, aka they’ll adjust your table setting accordingly. I feel so seen.
Below, news for lefties, righties, and even the ambidextrous.
For consideration …
Let’s start with London, which for many of us—especially the hospitality-obsessed—remains a source of perpetual inspiration and curiosity. Or make that controversy. The hottest spot in London right now is the 18-seat Yellow Bittern, a joint that relishes in paradox. It’s only open for lunch, and make that Monday-Friday; serves things like stew and soda bread, which you can pair with $120 bottles of organic red Burgundy; is co-owned by a titled Lady and an avowed communist. Celebrity chefs and London’s cultural elite have been flocking. In fact, there appears to be nothing hotter in London right now than a good old fashioned neighborhood bistro, the more intimate the better, at least according to data from Ten, a concierge service catering to the jet-set. For those with money to burn on things besides meals, there’s the Kettle Kids, a pair of 20-something lads who’ve pivoted from Instagram to a 4,500sq ft office on Old Bond Street, where they’ve got a stranglehold on the pre-owned Rolex market. And here’s a sector you might not expect to find first-rate hospitality in: underground techno clubs. Renowned Farringdon venue fabric recently turned 25 and celebrated the milestone with a gorgeous coffee table book. Known for its bleeding edge bookings and exceptional sound system, it’s been the hospitality the elite dance club delivers night after night that’s been keeping heads and ravers coming back. As Blackbird friend Colin Nagy muses over on Substack, "Everything communicated purpose. Just as the artwork and the curation were top-notch, so too was the door experience, the efficiency of the coat check, the politeness and professionalism of the security and staff, and the manner that people pouring out of the club were safely ushered into licensed rides home." For those in need of a few choice fabric mixes to get them through the work week, here are some of the best.
The AI friend hack
From hospitality to loneliness — need I be more on the nose that, yes, the former is most certainly a cure for the latter? But back to the topic at hand … in a world in which domestic ChatGPT use is up 83 percent year-over-year, it should come as no surprise that there’s now an app that uses AI to help you make friends. Pie, the latest venture from Bonobos founder Andy Dunn, has raised an $11.5 million Series A round to help foster IRL events in SF and Chicago. The challenge? Said events, like “Coffee with Strangers,” have become so popular that the hundreds of users who sometimes show up in person don’t know where to start, meaning: who to talk to. Enter AI, which uses a quiz—questions range from “do you pray?” to “are you willing to sacrifice stability to pursue a passion?”—to break users into groups based on their likelihood of getting along before the event. Eureka? Say what you will, at least the app is giving its presumably young(ish) audience a break. No such luck with music. In 2024, the average concert ticket price rose to $135, with some—like Beyoncé's Renaissance tour—demanding $600 just for GA. Perhaps this gives movie theaters a chance at rebounding. Enter the $5 Movie Club, a nationwide IRL Movie Club that gets you into an independent film followed by a post-showing discussion with the rest of the audience.
Quicker hits …
Hockey hair flowed in all its glory at the Minnesota High School Hockey Tournament.
A snooker player so unstoppable he's even caught the attention of Sally Rooney.
Meet the Woolly Mouse. A major step in de-extinctifying the Woolly Mammoth.
Enjoy your week.
BL
Ben Leventhal
Founder + CEO
Blackbird