From Hong Kong to London: Covent Garden to welcome UK debut from Có Thánh

Shaftesbury Capital has announced that Cô Thành, the acclaimed Hong Kong-based Vietnamese restaurant, has signed for its debut UK site in Covent Garden. Situated at the centre of the neighbourhood’s vibrant dining hub at 16 Henrietta Street, Cô Thành is set to add the flavours of Vietnam to the district’s unrivalled culinary line-up.

Founded by Brian Woo, Cô Thành’s concept is grounded in the scenes of Ho Chi Minh City. It is a celebration of regional Vietnamese cuisine and a heartfelt tribute to the late Nguyễn Thị Thanh, whose street-side noodle soups earned her a devoted following. After training under Nguyễn’s guidance for three years, and running Cô Thành’s Hong Kong restaurant since 2017, Brian Woo is now bringing her legacy to London, capturing the essence of her cooking while introducing Vietnam’s regional culinary traditions to a new audience.

Cô Thành’s Covent Garden menu will centre around the vibrant, herb-filled dishes of Southern Vietnam, bringing together signature dishes from the Hong Kong restaurant with London-only specials. Highlights will include fragrant Bún Thái, a Vietnamese take on the sweet, salty, sour and spicy flavours of Thai cooking, and Bún Mắm, a vermicelli noodle soup made from fermented fish and shrimp paste broth. A range of Vietnamese desserts will also feature, alongside a curated beverage list focusing on natural wines, cocktails, and traditional Vietnamese smoothies, juices, and coffee.

Cô Thành will join Covent Garden’s eclectic roster of dining operators inspired by an array of different influences, spotlighting cuisines from across the globe, including the likes of world-class operators Ave Mario, Din Tai Fung, GAUCHO, SUSHISAMBA, and The Ivy Market Grill. 

Emma Matus, Head of Restaurant Leasing at Shaftesbury Capital, commented: “Covent Garden’s dining offer continues to grow at pace, with Cô Thành the latest in a host of new F&B signings. Marking yet another UK debut and highly unique world-class concept, Cô Thành will complement the neighbourhood’s line-up perfectly, adding yet more diversity and tapping into the city’s love for first-rate Vietnamese food.”

Brian Woo, Founder of Cô Thành, commented, "London has always been a city I’ve admired for its creativity and diversity when it comes to food, so it’s a real honour to be joining that community. Everything I learned from Nguyễn Thị Thanh – the care she took with each dish, the pride in her ingredients, the way she connected with people through food – has stayed with me, and Cô Thành is my way of continuing her legacy. I’m excited to share her recipes and the bold, vibrant flavours of Vietnam with a new audience, and hopefully create the same sense of warmth and connection she inspired in me."

The signing of Cô Thành follows the recent announcement that Harry’s, the Richard Caring-owned Italian restaurant brand, has signed for a flagship site in Covent Garden. Both signings are the latest in a flurry of new F&B operators at the destination, on the heels of Sri Lankan street food concept ADOH!, French-Japanese lifestyle brand Café Kitsuné, and modern Indian-inspired Kricket.