ARE YOU GOING TO THE TENT
The Tent At The End Of The Universe
A Filipino born, Australian raised chef who cooked at Noma, Quay, and Momofuku — now sets a table under a sky full of stars and glowing moons in the heart of London.
A place people could go not to be seen — but to eat well and have fun after.
It was a bunch of friends who felt something was lacking in London. They wanted a passion project, built from the ground up — a Bedouin tent at night, a sky full of stars, an insane sound system, curated international DJs, and a chef whose work once made Anthony Bourdain a devoted fan.
Chef John Javier — known for his playful takes on Chinese and Chinese-Peruvian menus — decided to enter entirely new culinary territory, bringing his singular touch to a modern representation of Middle Eastern food.
The goal? When people come to London, their friends ask: "Are you going to the Tent?"
The less I think about food — that's when my best work comes out. Either through what's in front of me, or the lack thereof.
A single colour can be the building block of a whole dish.
Colours tend to steer the direction of everything. Sometimes a duo of colours will be the entire architecture of what goes on the plate — before a single ingredient is chosen.
Dramatic when down. Playful when lit. Always honest.
When he's feeling down or stressed, the dishes become theatrical. When happy or excited, they turn whimsical. The plate is always a direct mirror of the chef's interior world.
You gotta have music in the kitchen. Non-negotiable.
An insane sound system. A carefully curated list of international DJs. Music isn't atmosphere at The Tent — it's an ingredient, present from the first mise en place to the last cocktail of the night.
Three Words to Describe The Tent
Chef Javier's own answer — precise as a perfect dish.
Where it began
First world-class kitchen
Where legends train
First restaurant
Funky restobar
End of the line
Colours first. Emotions always. Rules — optional.
Chef Javier's creative process defies conventional culinary logic. He doesn't start with ingredients or technique — he starts with how something looks and how something feels.
Force it, and it never comes. Let go completely — let the absence of thought do its work — and the dish arrives whole, already perfect in his mind.
He didn't think Chinese food would lend itself well to the environment. The restaurant is designed to feel like being inside a Bedouin tent at night.
The directors are Middle Eastern — and so the cuisine had to resonate with them, and with the feeling of the space. A natural fit, discovered through listening.
Middle Eastern cuisine encapsulates the social act of eating perfectly. You break bread together. It's shareable. It's hands-on without being messy. Guests arrive for dinner, then stay to party — and the food moves with them.
Still trying to figure out what wellbeing means, he says — which might be the most honest answer of the year.
London W1W 8BP Reservations www.little-portland.com Instagram @sex.pesto Downstairs Events — Unannounced. You just have to know.
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ARE YOU GOING TO THE TENT?
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ARE YOU GOING TO THE TENT? 〰️
Visuals Bronia Stewart