It’s been a busy time for the new London restaurant group MAD. Not only has it opened an omakase-inspired Japanese on Wardour Street in Soho, it also recently launched a two-storey Spanish bistro in nearby Kingly Court. The Basque-themed Spanish restaurant joins neighbours Donia and Goldies in elevating the food-court atmosphere of the Soho restaurant hub.

Named for the Alta Navarra peninsula connecting Donostia and Pamplona, Alta has taken over Kingly Court’s largest site, with space for 100 diners spilling into the mezzanine. Heading up the open kitchen is El Bulli veteran Rob Roy Cameron, who also commands the open-fire grill, turning out whole sea bream, turbot head and 35-day aged sirloin.

MAD’s founder, Artem Login, says even though he chose the location ‘to be in the very thick of it’, he worked closely with London designers Yo Dezeen to create a tranquil space that lifts customers out of the chaos of the Carnaby area. ‘We still want guests to feel connected to the location,’ he says. ‘We’ve designed the space to create synergy between the restaurant and Kingly Court, as large windows offer views out across the mezzanine and down into the courtyard. But we used softer tones, lots of wood, rough stone and stucco combined with excellent lighting to create a memorable dining experience.’

Guests enter on the ground floor and pass by the borderless kitchen and grill, along with a dining room for 24 covers and two island-bars for cocktails heavy on Spanish vermouth, cherry wine and Basque espelette pepper. A larger first-floor dining room with a ‘wine wall’ featuring low-intervention European wines overlooks the courtyard. A further space has outdoor dining for 14.