Rafa, Cristiano, Pau and Enrique bring Ibiza restaurant Zela to London

Getty Images

The team behind a new restaurant backed by Rafael Nadal, Cristiano Ronaldo, Pau Gasol and Enrique Iglesias said they chose London as the location because the city has “the hottest culinary scene in the world”.

Cult Ibizan restaurant Zela is opening its first restaurant outside the White Isle in the ME London Hotel in Aldwych later this month — with all its celebrity investors making plans to attend the opening.

A press release said it hoped “to make its mark on the city’s culinary and nightlife map, for London’s foodies and the international jet-set alike, with exotic menus and vibrant atmosphere.”

The new venue is the second outpost for the Zela brand – the flagship restaurant opened in Ibiza in May last year.

How Zela in London will look Zela [Official Photo]
Michelin-recognised chef Ricardo Sanz has been announced as the “gastronomic director”, and has called the food on offer “meppon cuisine” – Japanese techniques applied to Mediterranean ingredients and traditions.

The menu will feature fresh fish and seafood; raw dishes including tatakis, tartares, sashimi, sushi and tiraditos; and classic dishes like pork gyoza. Available on opening night will be dishes such as tiradito of scallops with Ibizan sobrasada and butterfish nigiri with white truffle.

Mr Matutes said: “The food scene is the best, the hottest in the world. It had to be here. London is the perfect place to bring the Ibiza concept to. All of our backers are very involved and are real foodie guys. Cristiano and Rafael in particular love London.”

Sources: Independent, Evening Standard

15 comments

  1. PS: HAVE A GREAT TIME WITH WHATEVER YOU DO TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) ENJOY SWEETHEART AND BY THE WAY FOR GOT TO MENTION: MY DAIGHTER’S NAME IS ARIEL….AND SHE IS IN HER LAST YEAR OF COLLEGE, AND NATANEL IS IN HIS FIRST YEAR…: ) LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL! : ) VAMOS DEAR RAFA AND HAVE FUN WITH EVERYTHING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : )

  2. OLA OLA OLA OLA OLA OLA & VAMOS SWEETHERT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR NEW RESTAURANT IN LONDON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) IT LOOKS BEAUTIFUL AND INVITING AND VERY VERY FUN & CLASSY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) VERY HAPPY FOR YOU SWEETHEART!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) IT WILL BE SUCCESSFUL AND POPULAR AND ALL TOURISTS AND LONDONERS WILL FIND IT THE NEW HANG OUT PLACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) VAMOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) IT IS SO IMPORTANT THAT YOU ARE TAKING TIME TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY AND WHENEVER YOU ARE READY WE WILL BE THERE TO FOLLOW YOUR TOUR LIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) ALL YOUR HARD WORK AND EXTRAORDINARY TOP TENNIS DURING THE PAST YEAR IS VERY IMPRESSIVE AND SO SPECIAL ……..YOUR DRIVE , YOUR AMBITION, AND YOUR NATURAL ABILITY ARE BEYOND EXTRAORDINARY…..VAMOS SWEETHEART !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) YOU ARE ONE MAGICAL GOAT AND WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) WE LOVE WATCHING YOUR BRILLIANT TENNIS AND WE APPRECIATE ALL YOUR EFFORTS AND FIGHT AND PASSION SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) THIS PAST YEAR, LIKE MANY OF YOUR BRILLIANT YEARS PLAYING TENNIS HAS GIVEN US SUCH EXCITEMENT AND JOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) YOU BRING YOU BRING SUCH BEAUTY, AND CLASS, LIVELIHOOD AND FUN TO TENNIS AND WE ALL LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) VAMOS SWEETHEART!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) SENDING LOTS OF LOVE & HAPPINESS AND CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR NEW RESTAURANT WITH ALL THE GREAT OTHER PARTNERS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) YOU ARE ALL ADORABLE AND HARD WORKERS AND IT IS BEAUTIFUL THAT YOU HAVE THE LONDON PLACE. ENJOY EVERYTHING SWEETHEART & VAMOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) VAMOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) VAMOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) KEEP SMILING! : ) XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
    BY THE WAY OUR PRECIOUS SON NATANEL IS IN COLLEGE AND SO IS OUR PRECIOUS DAUGHTER AND IT IS BEAUTIFUL TO WATCH THEM SO INDEPENDENT AND STRONG AND THRIVING ACADEMICALLY….SO WE ARE GRATEFUL…..AND VERY HAPPY FOR THEM AND SAME FOR YOU SWEETHEART!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) GOD BLESS YOU AND ALL THE BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) ENJOY A BEAUTIFUL WEEK ! : ) XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

  3. Just viewd a compilation of the many times Rafa tried to say “Unbelieveable”. So funny! Source : TennisWorld.

  4. This is one time I would like to visit London to patronize the Restaurant! Miss seeing you Rafa. Praying for you to get well soon. Your Aussie Abuela Nan Shirley. 🐂🏆👑🎉🎉

  5. It’s good that they’ve opened a restaurant in London (on my doorstep) but to be honest, i’m more interested in Rafa’s tennis. Rafa’s decision to withdraw from the Asian tour is a very wise move on his and his team’s part. Afterall, i remember clearly what happened last year with his body. Spain definitely suffered in the Davis Cup at the weekend without Rafa, but hey that’s life. Although i’ll miss seeing him play, for his own sake in the long term, I think that he should rest up until the WTF.

  6. Rafa’s statement (per another Rafa fan site):

    Hi all, as you know I had to retire from my semifinal match at the US Open and this past Monday I visited my doctor in Barcelona, Spain checking my knee condition.
    Although this knee pain is nothing new to me, we have decided together my medical and technical team that I won’t be playing the Asian swing in Beijing and Shanghai. I need to rest and recover my knee as always.
    I am very sorry I won’t be able to be with all my fans in China as well as the tournament organisers who have always been so supportive with me and my team.

    • Thanks for the update YB. As bad as I want to see Rafa play every week, I’m happy that he is taking time out to rest his body and recover.

      We all know what our champ can do after a little rest!

      At least in the meantime I have Naomi to root for. Get well soon Rafa and keep the fighting spirit burning!! Your work is not done yet!

      • Maybe Rafa will have a better indoor season (Paris Open, WTF) if he is fit enough to compete? 🙂

  7. Would love to be there but a bit far from South Africa! Hope to visit next year. Good luck to all involved and enjoy the opening.

  8. Delighted that Rafa enjoys London. I am his biggest fan and born and bred in London…there’s no place quite like it. Every good wish for this new venture..Jean Palmer Winnipeg Canada.

Leave a Reply