Impala

Impala is chef Meedu Saad's first solo restaurant, and it landed on Dean Street in 2026 as one of the most talked-about openings of the year. After eight years shaping Kiln into one of Soho's most admired kitchens, Saad struck out on his own with a wood-fired, live-grill kitchen inspired by the food, noise and colour of North Africa and, in particular, the streets of Cairo.

As a North African restaurant in Soho, it is built around fire and provenance. A counter seats around ten in front of the wood oven, with a four-seat chef's counter by the grill, plus a full dining room and bar. Produce is sourced direct from small farms and makers across the UK and the Mediterranean, and the natural wine list has become a talking point in its own right. The name comes from the 1964 Chevrolet Impala the chef's family drove on Egyptian holidays.

What to expect from this North African restaurant in Soho

Expect bold, smoky cooking done with real precision: grilled and wood-fired dishes that draw a line from North Africa to north London, plated to a genuinely high standard. Counter seats are kept for walk-ins, while the dining room takes bookings, so you can drop in for a plate and a glass or settle in for a longer meal. The kitchen leans hard on seasonality and direct relationships with farmers and growers.

The chef and the reception

Meedu Saad's move from Kiln to his own room was one of the openings of the year, and the reviews followed. Grace Dent called it like no restaurant she had been to, and the wider press greeted it as something genuinely new rather than another copy. It sits among Dean Street's strong run of counter-led kitchens, near the likes of Barrafina, with more of the area's tables in our Soho restaurants listings.

How a visit works

Impala serves lunch and dinner on Dean Street, with counter seating held back for walk-ins and reservations taken for the dining room. Because service windows and days can change, check current times and book on its official site. The opening was reviewed in detail by Hot Dinners.