Living THE DREAM

For two hungry young professionals with a brand new restaurant, the all new Lexus UX more than matches their ambition

Before they met seven years ago while working at Ducasse in Monaco, chefs Emily Roux and Diego Ferrari had both dreamed of opening their own places. And while their lives and ambitions have come together to make Caractère, their newly opened restaurant in London’s Notting Hill, Emily says they both agreed that two head chefs in the kitchen is not an ideal situation. Diego now takes the lead behind the pass and Emily runs the front of house, allowing them to keep all aspects of the fledgling venue under close scrutiny. Stylish, carefully conceived and beautifully made food runs in their blood – a legacy of training in high-end venues, and for Emily, being from the third generation of famous Roux restaurateurs. The menu is a collection of dishes they love to eat – unpretentious recipes made with quality produce.

Emily explains that the name Caractère was chosen because they both have strong character traits and wanted their restaurant to reflect this. The menu is split under headings that play into this theme: Curious lists dishes with strong flavours, Subtle includes dishes such as Emily’s favourite ‘cacio e pepe’ but made with celeriac instead of pasta, while Robust covers meat and Greedy ends things on a sweet note. The interior, like the menu, is classic with a pared back, modern edge, with whitewashed brick walls, comfortable banquettes, lots of mirrors and quirky lighting.

It’s this combination of legacy, comfort, attention to detail and a modern look that makes the all new Lexus UX a perfect match for them. It’s the ideal car for a young and dynamic couple who work hard – opening a restaurant is about as hard as work gets – and live in a city. Both Emily and Diego are committed to being as sustainable as possible. They recycle all their kitchen waste to make compost for growing vegetables, so the self-charging hybrid credentials of the all new Lexus UX, meaning you don’t have to plug it in, are also vital. Once the first six months are under their belt and the restaurant is ticking over, they’ll be able to explore further afield. Emily looks forward to driving to the South of France, as well as weekend trips closer to home. In the meantime, Emily and Diego have a restaurant to run.