Modern Polish Restaurant in Clapham Closed After Less Than a Month

Jan, the modern Polish restaurant run by chef Damian Wawrzyniak on Northcote Road in Clapham, has closed. It opened only last month, on 29 June. Wawrzyniak told Eater that the reason is a “disagreement over a rent review.” The Noma alumnus first announced his takeover (and maintenance of the previous owners’ restaurant name) in April; the restaurant was expected to open in May, but had suffered delays.

Last week, the chef tweeted “with great sadness” that he had “just been advised that [the] previous owners of JAN Restaurant have outstanding debts/problems which I was not aware of.” He added that he was not “legally linked to previous operations and I will hold my work at JAN until further notice.”

Damian Wawrzyniak [Official Photo]

However, today Wawrzyniak had new information on the situation: “Since we started the discussion about opening JAN, I was ready and fully committed to create something great in London.

“A rental review came as a total surprise and disappointment. The restaurant had made an impact. We have had an amazing three weeks with a full restaurant and bookings until September.

“The situation is tricky, but I will now concentrate on House of Feasts,” the chef’s other restaurant in Cambridgeshire. “I want to continue delivering there. I’m not sure what will happen to JAN. It depends on the terms. We are closing JAN due to disagreement over a rent review with the landlords.”

Wawrzyniak would not disclose who the landlord of the property was.