Locks Restaurant – one of the eternal go-to locations for a leisurely lunch looking out at the canal in Portobello – announced today that it will close in its current state for January, with last service on Christmas Eve. Luckily, we don’t have to lament the loss of another amazing Irish restaurant, as its owners say it will reopen in February as a “neighbourhood Italian restaurant”, which will be called Lena.
In the announcement on Instagram, Locks reassured that “you will see all the familiar faces along with some new team members” at Lena.
It’s set to be a powerhouse team at Lena, with Simon Barrett and Liz Matthews (Uno Mas and Etto) joining Locks’ Chef and co-owner Paul McNamara in the ownership of the restaurant. Paul, Simon and Liz are close friends and worked together for many years before opening Uno Mas together in 2018. In Lena, they “hope to bring Uno Mas’ casual but refined approach to Lock’s beautiful canal-side setting.”
Considering the exemplary cooking that has been going on at both Locks and Uno Mas in recent years, we’re confident that this is one 2025 new opener that won’t disappoint.
All existing Lock’s vouchers will be redeemable in Lena and bookings for Lena will open in late January 2025.
Keep an eye on @lenaportobello on Instagram for opening date – we’re predicting that you’ll want to be fast to nab a table here.
