Central London Mediterranean Restaurant Group Drops Another Site

Opera Tavern in Covent Garden — the Spanish and Italian restaurant owned by the Salt Yard Group — has been sold to pub group Urban Pubs and Bars. It leaves the group, which closed Veneta in St James’s Market late last year, with three remaining central London restaurants: Salt Yard in Fitzrovia, as well as Dehesa and Ember Yard, which are both in Soho.

The restaurant, which at the time became the group’s third site, opened in 2011, with front-of-house led by Max Halley, who has since opened the lauded Max’s Sandwich Shop in Crouch Hill. The charcuterie, flatbreads, and tapas-style small plates that make up the group’s signature offering all featured, as well as what became an iconic Iberico pork and foie gras slider served with guindilla pepper.

In a statement shared with Eater, the group says it was pleased to announce the sale of its lease to Urban Pubs and Bars.

Directors Georgina Laing and Sanja Moll say it’s been a fabulous seven years in Covent Garden, and they are excited to now be focusing fully on their Soho and Fitzrovia restaurants; Dehesa, Ember Yard and Salt Yard.

The owners confirmed that the original restaurant, Salt Yard, will undergo a refurburshment in late August, while Dehesa will celebrate its 10th birthday this autumn.

Opera Tavern has become Salt Yard Group’s second closure in the past nine months. In November last year, the group closed Veneta in St James’s Market. The operators were understood to have accepted that the location did not work for the Venetian-inspired business, and had actively sought a buyer to take over the lease.