Simon Rogan Announces £250 Per Head 8-Seater Chef’s Table Experience

Simon Rogan is making a return to the restaurant scene in London, just months after his departure from his restaurant Fera at Claridge’s. Aulis London, it was announced today, will open in October: an eight-seater kitchen counter set-up; dinner will be £250-per head. By day the space will be used as “culinary workshop.”

Rogan had already announced that he was reintroducing the Roganic brand to London this year. Roganic was his first London venture — a two-year pop-up in Marylebone beginning in summer 2011 that precipitated his taking the reigns at Claridge’s following the departure of Gordon Ramsay from the hotel’s restaurant.

Rogan, whose flagship restaurant is L’Enclume in the Lake District, has since opened restaurants in Manchester and expanded his mini empire in the village of Cartmel, where L’Enclume first opened in 2002.

Aulis is a brand Rogan first introduced to Fera at Claridge’s before that restaurant’s closure earlier this year. It is designed to be an intimate dining experience at which customers can engage with the chef(s). They say it “offers guests a dynamic and interactive dining experience.” There is a now also an Aulis at L’Enclume, which doubles as Rogan’s development kitchen for the restaurant.

The location of Aulis London is not known — guests will learn of the location only when they make a reservation via this contact address. Eater London today contacted that address and were told that “Aulis London and the reservations line will officially open from [Tuesday] 3 October.” There will be no menu from which guests can order; a daily-changing tasting menu will be offered instead.

The kitchen will be led not by Rogan himself by chef Rafael Cagali who has previously worked at Quique Dacosta, The Fat Duck and with Rogan at Fera at Claridge’s. He will be supported by head of development Harry Guy who trained at Saison in San Francisco and who in 2016 won the Roux Scholarship. A wine programme will be run by sommelier Pierre Brunelli; a wine flight will be included within the £250 menu.

In a statement, Rogan said: “I am really excited that Aulis will be returning to London and we’ve found the perfect spot for it. Aulis is an integral part of our operation in the Lake District and it will be no different in London. We’re also very excited to be launching Roganic in Marylebone later this year, and Aulis London will offer guests the opportunity to sample dishes not yet seen on Roganic menus. With only eight seats, Aulis London can give our customers a really up close and personal insight into how we operate. We are going to have a lot of fun there.”