Key Points
- Whyte Rushen, chef behind the acclaimed Whyte’s restaurant in London Fields, Hackney, closed the venue after 15 months of operation in early 2025.
- Whyte’s earned a five-star review from Time Out, described as a “simple east London space with one of the city’s hottest chefs in charge,” and featured in Time Out’s best restaurants in Hackney and best new restaurants in London lists.
- Restaurateur Livi Akers partnered with Whyte Rushen on the original Whyte’s and subsequent projects.
- Following closure, the team embarked on a “world tour” or “culinary gap year,” hosting residencies in 30 cities across the globe, including Tokyo (three-week residency), Bangkok, Chengdu, New York, Mexico City, Amsterdam, Dublin, Bali, Shanghai, Seoul, Rotterdam, Eindhoven, Athens, Florida, Lisbon, Porto, Barcelona, Philadelphia, St Catherine’s, and a collaboration with DJ Fat Boy Slim at Butlin’s in Minehead.
- Prior to the full return, Whyte’s hosted a festive pop-up at Marquee Moon in Dalston last month (December 2025).
- The comeback features a four-day izakaya-style pop-up named Rotten Octopus at Clara’s Bistro, 17 Bethnal Green Road, Shoreditch, E1 6LA, from January 17-20, 2026.
- Rotten Octopus draws inspiration from Tokyo’s eateries, bringing “the spirit, flavours and late-night energy of Japan to East London,” as stated by Whyte Rushen.
- The 14-dish à la carte menu includes eel three ways (sweet BBQ unagi, nori tempura, smoked eel skin broth), roasted kippers with house tartare potato salad, drunken clams, karaage quail, slow-cooked pig ear roll, and char sui honey chicken; drinks feature sake cocktails, wines, and Japanese spirits.
- Whyte Rushen’s background includes pop-ups post-pandemic with smash-burgers and Monster Munch-coated oysters, stints at Brat, Scully St James, and Kerridge’s.
Shoreditch (East London Times) January 13, 2026 – Acclaimed chef Whyte Rushen and restaurateur Livi Akers, who closed their celebrated Whyte’s restaurant in London Fields after just 15 months in early 2025, are set to make a triumphant return to the London dining scene with a four-day izakaya pop-up called Rotten Octopus at Clara’s Bistro later this month.
The event, running from January 17 to 20 at 17 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6LA, promises a 14-dish menu inspired by Tokyo’s vibrant backstreet eateries, following the team’s recent three-week residency there. This short stint marks the first proper London comeback after an extensive global tour spanning 30 cities.
Why Did Whyte’s Close in London Fields?
Whyte’s, launched in late 2023 on Mare Street in Hackney as Whyte Rushen’s first bricks-and-mortar venue, shut its doors after 15 months, with the closure announced at the start of 2025. As reported by Leonie Cooper of Time Out, the restaurant was open for just seven more weeks from the announcement date in January 2025 before closing permanently.
Despite its rapid success, including a glowing five-star Time Out review praising it as “a simple east London space with one of the city’s hottest chefs in charge” and an eclectic menu of “whatever Whyte Rushen wants to serve you – cooked oysters one day, San Sebastian-style Basque cookery the next,” the team opted to take the concept on the road. Whyte Rushen announced on Instagram:
“We’re going on a little world tour aren’t we, hopping from city to city, hosting residencies in the maddest places… Thank you all for the endless love. Catch you in China?”
This move echoed Rushen’s pre-Whyte’s roots in pop-ups and residencies post-pandemic, featuring hits like smash-burgers and Monster Munch-coated oysters.
What Made Whyte’s Stand Out?
As detailed in Leonie Cooper’s five-star Time Out review, Whyte’s occupied a “pure east London” space in a warehouse-y London Fields newbuild down a spicy alleyway, with a basic setup of tables and an L-shaped counter for watching the kitchen. The menu shifted frequently; during one Basque-inspired phase post-San Sebastian trip, highlights included Cantabrian anchovies on baguette, skinny Basque chillies with smoked almonds, fried potatoes with grilled wild mushrooms and jammy egg yolk (nodding to Ganbara pintxos), charred cuttlefish on pinto beans, roasted turbot, bone-in sirloin Txuleta steak with pickled guindilla butter, baked red prawn rice with brown crab, and burnt Basque cheesecake.
The vibe was laid-back with top playlists, industrial décor, and an open kitchen, allowing Rushen’s creative wings to spread without constraints. Time Out tip:
“Cheesecake will be on the menu in some form or another; order it.”
What Happened During the World Tour?
After closing Whyte’s, Rushen and Akers embarked on an eight-month global adventure, visiting 30 cities and hosting residencies that adapted local cuisines to their style. Stops included Tokyo, Bangkok, Chengdu (China), New York, Mexico City, Amsterdam, Dublin, Bali, Shanghai, Seoul, Rotterdam, Eindhoven, Athens, Florida, Lisbon, Porto, Barcelona, Philadelphia, and St Catherine’s, with a unique collaboration alongside DJ Fat Boy Slim at Butlin’s in Minehead.
As noted in a Visit West report, the tour explored “different cultural contexts, bringing the Whyte’s take on each local cuisine along the way.” A Chenin.bkk post highlighted 18 cities over eight months post-Hackney closure. Most recently, a three-week Tokyo residency directly inspired the Rotten Octopus menu.
Where and When is Rotten Octopus Happening?
Rotten Octopus takes over Clara’s Bistro, a new Shoreditch deli, café, and bistro on the fringe known for French-Italian dishes by chef Elie Fourcroy and managed by Rochelle Hutchinson (ex-River Café). The pop-up runs January 17-20, 2026, as a four-day izakaya evoking Tokyo’s late-night energy.
As per Leonie Cooper of Time Out, this follows a festive pop-up at Dalston’s Marquee Moon – a hi-fi bar and restaurant at 48 Stoke Newington Road, N16 7XJ, from The Cause team – last month.
What Will the Rotten Octopus Menu Feature?
The 14-dish à la carte menu blends Japanese izakaya influences with Rushen’s flair: eel three ways (sweet BBQ unagi, nori tempura, smoked eel skin broth), roasted kippers with house tartare potato salad, drunken clams, karaage quail, slow-cooked pig ear roll, and char sui honey chicken. Whyte Rushen stated to the Evening Standard:
“I want to bring the spirit, flavours and late-night energy of Japan to East London.”
Drinks include sake cocktails, wines, and Japanese spirits, complementing the Tokyo inspiration. This pop-up signals more returns ahead for the cult favourite.
