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A chef who adores all things soigné is opening his first standalone restaurant in London, after his last stint in the city met an ignominious end. Alex Dilling will open a guaranteed Michelin magnet at Hotel Cafe Royal later this summer, steeped in fine ingredients; French technique; minimalist plating; and an abundance of caviar and truffle.
His cuisine is informed by time leading a duo of two-Michelin-starred London restaurants: Hélène Darroze at the Connaught and the Greenhouse, both in Mayfair. It was at the latter that he most clearly developed his own ideas — including a memorably jet black “oeuf noir,” glazed with black truffle fumaison, and a “Hunter’s” chicken made with a Landes bird, ceps, chicken mousseline, sauce Albufuera, and white truffle. The restaurant was forced to close in 2020, during both the COVID-19 pandemic and the fall-out from the mismanagement and collapse of its parent group, Marlon Abela’s MARC. The company was wound up still owing HMRC almost £500,000 in taxes.
Dilling returns to London after a series of residencies, most recently in Malta.
Renowned chef picks his site for London return
David Thompson, best known for Thai restaurant Nahm, will open a branch of his Long Chim chain at 9 Horse Dolphin Yard in Chinatown. According to most recent filings, the unit — which boasts a sizeable courtyard anchored by a pagoda — comes in at £235,000 a year.
Nikkei cuisine comes to Leyton
A chef and restaurateur with time at Chotto Matte and Sushi Samba have opened Bamboo Mat in E10, with tiradito and tataki galore.
The clown’s got cash
McDonald’s will pour £250 million into redeveloping its U.K. restaurant portfolio, in order to better equip them for something called “omnichannel ordering.”