Heston Blumenthal to open London restaurant

Internationally renowned chef Heston Blumenthal is to open his first London restaurant in autumn 2010.

Blumenthal’s restaurant, The Fat Duck, one of only three Michelin-starred restaurants in the UK, is famed for its molecular gastronomy and dishes such as snail porridge, caviar and white chocolate and bacon and egg ice-cream.

Blumenthal’s restaurant, The Fat Duck, is located in Bray – as is his gastropub, The Hind’s Head.

The new restaurant, which will open at the Mandarin Oriental in Knightsbridge, will take its inspiration from Blumenthal’s passion for the history of British gastronomy, an interest he explored in his recent Channel 4 series, ‘Heston’s Feasts’.

The 140-seat restaurant – some three times the size of The Fat Duck – will be designed by Adam Tihany, and Ashley Palmer-Watts, who has worked with Blumenthal at the Bray restaurant for nine years, will be at the helm in the kitchen.

‘I am thrilled at the prospect of opening a restaurant in such a central location,’ said Blumenthal. ‘It is a natural step and one which offers an exciting opportunity.’

The Mandarin Oriental’s current restaurant, Foliage, lost its long-time head chef Chris Staines recently and will be closing for business in the second quarter of 2010.

Written by Natasha Hughes

Natasha Hughes MW began her career in the wine trade as deputy editor of Decanter.com. She left the magazine in 2001 and has since enjoyed a thriving freelance career as a writer and consultant. Writing about wine and food, Hughes has contributed to specialist publications across the world, and has acted as a consultant to private clients, wineries and restaurants. In addition, she hosts wine seminars and tastings, and has judged globally at wine competitions. Hughes graduated as a Master of Wine in 2014, winning four out of the seven available prizes at graduation, including the Outstanding Achievement Award.