American chef Thomas Keller’s three-Michelin-starred restaurant The French Laundry is to pop up in Harrods this autumn.
The Napa Valley institution – which was named World’s Best Restaurant in 2003 and again in 2004 – will be recreated in the store from 1 October for 10 days only, in the Georgian Restaurant on the
fourth floor.
The chef aims to recreate The French Laundry’s interiors to the last detail, flying over fixtures, fittings and bespoke dinnerware from America to mimic the ‘design ethos’ of the Californian
counterpart.
Some of the dishes on the £250 nine-course taster menu will be classics from The French Laundry, such as Keller’s signature ‘oysters and pearls’, while others will be created specially for the
London pop-up, while retaining Keller’s French cooking style.
Keller – who was named America’s Best Chef by Time magazine in 2001 – will oversee the kitchen for the full 10 days of the project. He said:
‘This is a first for us in many ways. We have never opened a restaurant outside of the US, but we could not think of a better partner for this endeavour.’
The restaurant will open for lunch and dinner, serving 70 covers per sitting. Booking lines open on 1 September.
by Nicky Evans, News and Online Editor
2 August 2011