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Corbin and King, two of London’s most lauded restaurateurs have announced that they will open Café Wolseley — an offshoot of their celebrated Viennese grand cafe-inspired British brasserie — at Bicester Village in Oxfordshire, at the end of June. As first reported by City A.M., the new site will serve an all-day menu “in the grand European tradition.”
It appears to be the first of what could be a roll-out of the brand, following the group’s majority sale to investors in December. (It mirrors the way in which The Ivy brand has expanded outside of the capital with its own offshoots, Ivy Brasserie and Ivy Market Grill.)
The original Wolseley, which opened on Piccadilly in central London in 2003, is considered one of London’s first “grand cafés”, a vaulted space, which was once a car show room and later a Chinese buffet restaurant. Café Wolseley, which will open in the next fortnight is Corbin and King’s first venture outside of London.
As well as offering the same brand of hospitality as the original venue, the new site will cater to the expedient needs of a clientele who visit Bicester to shop, much more than dine. It will thus feature a take-away counter and a retail space selling The Wolseley Shop’s “growing collection.”
“The style and features of the Bicester Village site will be recognisable to anyone familiar with the West End flagship,” an announcement sent to Eater said. Likewise with the menu, which will feature “Wolseley favourites along with the addition of new elements such as tarte flambée and a wider range of salads.”
It will be the group’s tenth restaurant; only last month did the operators, who have been vocal in their belief that Brexit will be a disaster for the restaurant business, announce the ninth site, which is scheduled to open by Lord’s cricket ground, St John’s Wood at the end of the year.
It adds to a growing portfolio for Corbin and King, which includes The Delaunay, Colbert, Fischer’s, Colony Grill Room and Brasserie Zédel, Bellanger, and The Beaumont.