Divo, a Ukrainian restaurant whose name means "amazing" in English, is set to open on 18th September on the former site of W’Sens in St. James's. It's hoping to target the Russian elite as well as Londoners with its over-the-top decor and relatively unknown (in London) cuisine.
The ground-floor dining area and bar features hand-painted gilt and duck egg blue walls and ceilings, carved rare woods and sumptuous furnishings. There will be a mural in the bar depicting the lives of Ukrainian princes and a mezzanine dining level replicating the interior of a well-to-do family's 19th-century villa.
The menu will feature classic dishes such as borscht and varenyky (stuffed dumplings), in addition to lighter, more refined interpretations. Divo will also be the only U.K. restaurant to serve Crimean wines (12 Waterloo Pl., SW1; 020-7484 1355).