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Two of Central London’s Most Popular Restaurants Are Opening in King’s Cross

Bao and Hoppers expected to open in Pancras Square, following the submission of a licensing application to Camden Council

Bao at Bao and hoppers at Hoppers Bao: Tomas Jivanda/Eater London; Hoppers: [Official Photo]; Composite: Eater London

Bao, the Taiwanese bun shop and essential London restaurant, is planning to open its fifth location, alongside Hoppers — at the base of the Universal Music headquarters in Pancras Square, King’s Cross. MCA reports that Bao will open at the new development, following a licensing application for a two-floor site. Documents seen by Eater, however, indicate that in addition to Bao, its parent company JKS Restaurants will also open a third Hoppers restaurant, the Sri Lankan brand, in one of the location’s two discrete spaces.

Update 3.12.2019: Hoppers will open in February next year.

Planning documents submitted to Camden Council position Bao on the ground floor, with Hoppers taking the first-floor site. The space will share an outside seating area. Combined, the unit — at 6,000 square feet — is significantly bigger than any site in either restaurant’s existing portfolio.

There is no timescale yet for opening, and is subject to the application’s approval.

Bao, which launched as a tiny street food operation in Netil Market, Hackney, in 2013 now operates three full restaurants in London: Lexington Street, Soho (2015); Windmill Street, Fitzrovia (201.); and Borough Market, which opened earlier this year. The group, led by Erchen Chang, Shing Tat Chung, and Wai Ting Chung, also runs Xu Teahouse in Chinatown.

Bao and Hoppers will open inside the Universal Music headquarters in King’s Cross, London
Where Bao and Hoppers are set to open
Google

Hoppers meanwhile is within JKS Restaurants core restaurant portfolio, alongside the Michelin-starred Gymkhana (currently closed), Brigardiers, and Trishna. That group is also an investor in Lyle’s, Kitchen Table, Sabor, and Berenjak.

More soon.

Correction: an earlier version of this article stated the size of the space was 12,000 square feet.

Borough Market

8 Southwark Street, , England SE1 1TL 020 7407 1002 Visit Website

Hoppers

77 Wigmore Street, London, W1U 1QE Visit Website

Trishna

15-17 Blandford Street, , England W1U 3DG 020 7935 5624 Visit Website

Bao

83 Rue De La Gauchetière Ouest, Ville-Marie, QC H2Z 1C2 (514) 875-1388

XU

30 Rupert Street, , England W1D 6DL 020 3319 8147 Visit Website

Gymkhana

42 Albemarle Street, , England W1S 4JH 020 3011 5900 Visit Website