KORA by Beaufort House

KORA opened in the summer of 2025 on the ground floor of Beaufort House, taking the prominent corner site on the King's Road behind a sage-green facade, striped awnings and clipped olive trees in terracotta urns. The name comes from the Greek 'Kore', meaning maiden, and the cooking is openly Mediterranean with a strong Ionian-Greek accent: whipped taramasalata and warm flatbreads, crudo of tuna and kingfish, prawns saganaki, octopus, and a charred lamb shoulder with hummus and rose harissa, matched to a list that leans into Greek wines. Executive chef Sasha Ziverts runs an open kitchen of natural stone counters lined with ceramic jars of olive oil.

The room reads as relaxed Chelsea rather than formal: whitewashed and panelled walls, a parquet floor, rattan pendant lights and a green-tiled back bar stacked with bottles. Long banquettes in a bold patterned fabric run the length of the dining room beneath framed artwork, with marble-topped tables and woven café-style chairs. Linen half-curtains stencilled with the KORA name screen the King's Road windows, so the space holds candlelit warmth at night and floods with light by day. The mood shifts easily from a few drinks and small plates after work to a long weekend dinner.

For private events the appeal is the whole restaurant taken over, or a reserved run of the banquette dining area for a smaller group. It suits an intimate, music-led celebration where a DJ sets the tone over dinner rather than a club night, and the wider Beaufort House building above can absorb larger occasions when required.