Rogan, who holds two Michelin stars at his flagship restaurant L’Enclume in Cartmel, will open the as-yet-unnamed restaurant next spring. The head chef will be Dan Cox, who ran Rogan’s temporary Marylebone restaurant Roganic until its closure in the summer.
“I have long been looking for a permanent London home and in Claridge’s I feel we have found a true partnership of creativity and world-class excellence,” said Rogan. “My team and I are looking forward to the challenge of marrying my culinary style with the phenomenal heritage of Claridge’s.
“This is a massive honour and we are focused and determined to create a truly outstanding restaurant.”
Rogan's run
It caps a highly successful year for Rogan, who recently saw L’Enclume snatch top spot in the Good Food Guide and his recently opened fine-dining restaurant The French, based at the Midland Hotel in Manchester, awarded Best New Entry, shooting straight up to number 12 in the top 50 listing. L'Enclume also moved up by seven places to take number four spot in the National Restaurant Awards last month.
Claridge’s general manager Thomas Kochs believes Rogan’s inventive cooking techniques and trailblazing use of fresh ingredients will be a defining factor for the hotel’s new restaurant.
“We are very excited about bringing Simon Rogan to Claridge’s,” said Kochs. “He is a home-grown British talent and we believe his inspiring culinary concept for the hotel will lead the way for a new dining direction, building on the bold approach for which Claridge’s has always been known.”
Replacing Ramsay
The 90-cover space was previously occupied by Gordon Ramsay, which closed its doors for good in June after 12 years of service at the London property.
During those 12 years in operation, Ramsay’s restaurant served one million customers, turned over £80m and made £17.5m in pre-tax profits, but Gordon Ramsay Holdings (GRH) was forced to close the restaurant after being unable to renew its contract with Claridge's owner The Maybourne Group for more than a year at a time.
Stephen Alden, Maybourne’s chief executive, said: “It is no secret that at Maybourne the quality of dining at our hotels, and creating places where people want to be, is an essential part of our philosophy. At every opportunity, we set out to build strong collaborations with like-minded partners.
“When we first met Simon, we immediately sensed the shared belief in creating something truly special that both our guests and Londoners would enjoy. His talent combined with our address and genuine commitment to exceptional service are a great match.”
Rogan and the Claridge’s are now said to be busy finalizing plans for the new restaurant, with specific details of the food and drink offering and the exact opening date to be revealed in due course. Reservations will not be taken until next year.