Send us Fan Mail

Zoë Paskin went back to London to help at The End for a month. She stayed for a decade.

The co-founder of Studio Paskin, behind The Palomar, The Barbary, Evelyn’s Table and The Blue Posts, joins Antoine Melon and Gideon Lask to talk about what makes a room come alive — and the work behind a great night out.

Zoë recalls returning to restaurant service at Hawksmoor, the trip to Jerusalem that turned a pop-up idea into The Palomar, and how music and counter dining bring guests into the action. We talk about working with her brother Layo, giving talented people room to grow, and what changes when you can no longer be at the door every night.

There’s Manchester’s restaurant energy, a surprisingly good meal on the Eurostar, and our fictional Under Pressure service: Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman arrive without a booking, the music divides the room and a guest challenges a £600 bottle of wine.

Warmth, instinct and the occasional difficult decision. A conversation about creating places people want to come back to.

Mentioned in the episode:

Studio Paskin — https://www.studiopaskin.com/

Eurostar Premier’s food and wine team — chefs Jeremy Chan and Jessica Préalpato, and head sommelier Honey Spencer: https://www.eurostar.com/uk-en/travel-info/eurostar-experience/food-on-board/eurostar-premier

VAT’s The Problem campaign and petition — https://www.vatstheproblem.co.uk/

Proloco, Manchester — https://www.proloco.uk/

Cocina Mexicana by Adriana Cavita — https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Cocina-Mexicana/Adriana-Cavita/9781788795531

Table Hopping by Dylan Jones — https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/dylan-jones-3/table-hopping/9780349000725/