The Square’s Philip Howard has teamed up with restaurateur Rebecca Mascarenhas for a second time to launch a
restaurant in Barnes – their local patch.
The duo’s first professional venture together was with smart neighbourhood locale Kitchen W8, which they opened
in Kensington in 2009 and which won a Michelin star last year.
Now, the pair are relaunching Sonny’s, which Mascarenhas has owned for 26 years. Howard is a long-standing regular
at the Church Road restaurant; when the new-look version – to be called Sonny’s Kitchen – opens in May, he will oversee the kitchen and menus.
Howard – who is best known for his 20-year tenure at The Square, but who is also a partner in Notting Hill’s
The Ledbury – will maintain the informal cooking style and luxurious modern-European dishes for which Sonny’s is
known, but will bring his classical training and innovative approach to the task.
Mascarenhas, who also owns Cantinetta, in Putney, said that she was ‘thrilled’ to be involved in another project
with Howard. ‘With Kitchen W8, we quickly realised that our skills complement each other,’ she said. ‘Phil is an undisputed talent in the kitchen, and I bring strong business acumen to the table.'
Sonny’s will close for refurbishment from 8 April. The restaurant interior will also be freshened up for the relaunch, in mid-May.
This story was published in March 2012.