London is the best city is the world for eating out so it’s no surprise that the best chefs in the world want to cook here. And London’s best restaurants are only too happy to host them – as well as their chef mates from around the UK. Read on for our pick of London’s best chef residencies this summer.
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What: A Marylebone restaurant where the guest chefs change fortnightly
Who: Chefs on the brink of stardom, from the UK and overseas. Current resident is farm-to-table pioneer Karl Holl from Portland, Oregon; he’ll be followed by Graham Long and Wieteke Teppema, the duo behind hotly anticipated London opening Gezellig, and Sheffield-born, Paris-based chef Daniel Morgan, from the city’s acclaimed Salt bistro.
When: Karl Holl until 13 May; Gezellig 16-27 May; Daniel Morgan 30 May-10 June
Where: 71 Blandford Street, W1U 8AB
How much: Each chef prepares a five-course dinner menu for £37.50 per person
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What: A weekly Wednesday residency in June, hosted by Alyn Williams at The Westbury
Who: Some of the best chefs in the world. Ana Roš, chef-patron of Slovenia’s Hiša Franko and recently voted the World’s Best Female Chef 2017 at the World’s 50 Best Restaurants, Petter Nilsson of cutting-edge Spritmuseum in Stockholm, Timothy Hollingsworth, ex of the French Laundry and now chef-owner of Otium in Los Angeles, and Anton Kovalkov, formerly of Farenheit in Moscow, will each cook an eight-course tasting menu with Alyn Williams himself.
When: Petter Nilsson 7 June; Ana Roš 14 June; Anton Kovalkov 21 June; Timothy Hollingsworth 28 June
Where: The Westbury, 37 Conduit Street, W1S 2YF
How much: Tickets cost £180 and include a glass of Champagne
The Cinnamon Club Guest Chef Series
What: Vivek Singh invites some of London’s top chefs to cook Indian for the night
Who: Adam Handling of The Frog E1, Texture’s Agnar Sverrisson, José Pizarro and Mark Hix will each cook an Indian-influenced five-course dinner over the summer, with Cinnamon Club exec chef Singh cooking in each of the chefs’ own restaurants in the autumn.
When: Adam Handling 12 June, Agnar Sverrisson 21 June, José Pizarro 19 July, Mar Hix 18 September
Where: The Old Westminster Library, 30-32 Great Smith Street, SW1P 3BU
How much: Tickets cost £120
Family Style at Patty & Bun
What: A series of chef takeovers at the burger chain’s Hackney site
Who: First up is Niklas Ekstedt of Stockholm’s Michelin-starred Ekstedt, famous for banishing gas and electric from his cooking in favour of the fire pit, wood-fired oven and wood stove – expect the likes of hay-flamed salmon, ember-cooked beef and sour cream sorbet. Future chefs include Rosio Sanchez of Copenhagen taco specialist Hija de Sanchez, and our very own Claude Bosi of the all-new Bibendum. It’s called ‘family style’ because it’s sharing food at a shared table.
When: Niklas Ekstedt 15-16 May
Where: 2 Arthaus Building, 205 Richmond Road, E8 3NJ
How much: £69.62 for the Niklas Ekstedt dinner
Hawksmoor Borough Cooks’ Room
What: Top chefs cook a meat feast for charity
Who: Robin Gill (The Dairy, The Manor, Counter Culture), Elizabeth Haigh (ex-Pidgin), Nathan Outlaw and Clipstone’s Stuart Andrew are among the chefs creating their own interpretation of a classic Hawksmoor meal, with all proceeds going to Action Against Hunger’s #UniteAgainstFamine campaign.
When: Robin Gill 4 June; Elizabeth Haigh 9 August; Nathan Outlaw 20 September; Stuart Andrew 5 October
Where: 16 Winchester Walk, SE1 9AQ
How much: Approx. £150 per dinner
Lyle’s Guest Series
What: The world’s 54th best restaurant plays host to the world’s best chefs
Who: Dan Hunter, chef-patron of farm-based restaurant Brae in Victoria, Australia (recently voted number 44 at the World’s Best Restaurants), will be cooking a menu of British ingredients alongside Lyle’s James Lowe to tie in with his new book Brae: Recipes and Stories from the Restaurant. Pam Yung of Brooklyn hotshot Semilla will be paying a visit in July.
When: 31 May and 1 June
Where: Tea Building, 56 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6JJ
How much: £79 for a set menu and signed copy of Hunter’s book
Quo Vadis and Friends
What: Jeremy Lee cooks alongside his chef mates in the restaurant’s Blue Room
Who: Two Michelin-starred Cornish chef Nathan Outlaw will be cooking a seafood dinner in July, while for the August bank holiday Andrew Clarke of Brunswick House in Vauxhall is laying on a duck-centric Gascon lunch in the style of his upcoming restaurant, Bastien.
When: Nathan Outlaw 28 June; Andrew Clarke 25 August
Where: 26-29 Dean Street, W1D 3LL
How much: Andrew Clark from £40, Nathan Outlaw from £60
Restaurant Story’s Story Behind the Curtain
What: A mash-up of two of the UK’s most talented young chefs
Who: For three days in May, Restaurant Story’s Tom Sellers is playing host to chef Michael O’Hare, of Michelin-starred Leeds restaurant The Man Behind the Curtain. Each chef will prepare half of a lunch and dinner tasting menu. All that plus welcome cocktails prepared by Matt Whiley, aka The Talented Mr Fox of Peg + Patriot and Scout fame.
When: 25-27 May
Where: 199 Tooley Street, London, SE1 2JX
How much: From £90 (lunch) and £150 (dinner)
Spago at CUT at 45 Park Lane
What: Superstar chef brings Beverly Hills to Mayfair
Who: Austrian/American chef royalty Wolfgang Puck is so famous he’s been on The Simpsons. To celebrate the 35th anniversary of his flagship Spago eatery, he’s bringing the Californian cuisine of the LA restaurant to the London outpost of his CUT steak joint, washed down with magnums of 1982 vintage Champagne Lanson.
When: 29 June-1 July
Where: 45 Park Lane, W1K 1PN
How much: Starters from £14, mains from £32
Can’t get enough of the cheffing action? Take a look at our list of the best restaurants with chef’s tables in London
This article was published 10 May 2017