The restaurant, situated in the ground floor of Harling House on the corner of Union Street and Great Suffolk Street, will be the first London opening for Gordon Ramsay since Bread Street Kitchenin September 2011. It will be the first foray into restaurants for Beckham, who is investing in the business.
“It's no secret that Borough Market is one of my favourite places in London,” said Ramsay, who has 25 restaurants worldwide, with nine Michelin stars. “It’s an area where people are really passionate about food and we've invested time in finding the right venue. It is an amazing space and we're really excited about opening.
“There will be a real focus on the most amazing produce, cooked in a simple Mediterranean style in a relaxed setting.”
Union Street Café’s dishes will be based on seasonal ingredients sourced from especially selected speciality produce from the Mediterranean, with an emphasis on Italian artisan producers. This will be complimented with what is available daily from the immediate vicinity of the Borough and Maltby Street markets.
On the menu
The daily-changing menu will include veal carpaccio with lemon, anchovy, olive and celery; baked spiny lobster with chilli and marjoram; and torn pasta with artichoke, pancetta, mint and ricotta. Dinner is expected to cost around £30 a head.
Union Street Café’s interior will retain many original features from the disused loading bays that once were; from the shutters and windows to the columns, providing an urban look. Designers Russell Sage have used leather and steel throughout the restaurant, with vintage Italian seating giving a nod to its Mediterranean feel.
A downstairs bar will also feature, accessed by a main staircase in the middle of the restaurant. It will be a more relaxed space, serving classic Italian and innovative new cocktails with a London influence. Union Street Café’s bar area will also serve a range of light bites and snacks.
News of Union Street Café first broke three years agowhen an alcohol licence was secured. The new venue was initially mooted for a 2011 opening but planning permission was only granted last year.
Another of Ramsay’s London ventures - Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's – is set to shut up shop at the end of the month (30 June),after 12 years at the luxury hotel in Mayfair. GRH has said it is actively looking at other new sites in the area.
Union Street Café will open at 47-51 Great Suffolk Street in September.