French chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten to open at The Connaught hotel

The venue will aim to offer informal, neighbourhood-style dining, and will operate on the site currently occupied by the hotel’s brasserie, Espelette. Interior décor will be from architect John Heah, whose recent projects include the nearby Berkeley Hotel.  

The two Michelin-starred Hélène Darroze restaurant already at The Connaught will continue to operate on the other side of the hotel.

Vongerichten ‒ who previously operated the Vong restaurant at The Berkeley, which closed in 2002 ‒ also runs some of New York’s most high-profile sites, including Jean-Georges, ABC Kitchen, and The Mercer Kitchen, alongside operations in Paris, Shanghai, and Tokyo.

Vongerichten said: “I am excited to make my return to London, one of the most vibrant and dynamic food destinations in the world and I hope to create a new restaurant at The Connaught that reflects both my signature farm to table cooking style but with a few surprises. The Connaught was the first London hotel I ever stayed in and continues to hold a special place in my heart.’’

Massimiliano Binda, The Connaught’s general manager, said: “The Connaught has always had a distinguished and celebrated culinary history, and we believe that with his forward thinking vision [Vongerichten] will add something special to the hotel, and together with Hélène Darroze create an unbeatable double act in the heart of Mayfair.”

Part of the Maybourne Hotel Group, The Connaught has 121 bedrooms, as well as a luxury spa. It has an illustrious hotel restaurant history, having most recently famously operated under chefs Gordon Ramsay and Angela Hartnett from 2000 to 2007.