Clare Smyth, the first female chef in the UK to hold three Michelin stars, and former head chef at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, is to open her own 60-cover restaurant in London's Notting Hill later this year.
Smyth, who has honed her craft in the kitchens of Heston Blumenthal, the Roux brothers, Thomas Keller and Alain Ducasse, previously told Hospitality Ireland that her new restaurant venture will be "casual fine dining". Smyth has taken a 15-year lease on the property with an annual rent of £135,000, reports Thecaterer.com.
Speaking about the restaurant's planned opening last Autumn, Smyth said: "It was pretty fraught at times in 2016, but I’m thrilled to have exchanged on this particular site. It was my first choice and I just love the history of the building."
The building had once been home to the famous Michelin-starred Leith's, run by Prue Leith, but has remained vacant since 2014. The restaurant, which will undergo extensive remodelling before reopening, will join good company as two-michelin-starred The Ledbury is just a short walk away.
