Mere – pronounced Mary – is named after Monica’s mother and has been a long-held aspiration of the husband and wife team.
It has the backing of Westbury Street Holdings (WSH), the group behind the Benugo, Searcys and BaxterStorey restaurants.
Monica said: “Most chefs aspire to open their own restaurant and for me to have David by my side, is a dream come true. My passion for great seasonal produce and classic techniques will continue at Mere, but with my own take on the menus.”
Mere will open for lunch and dinner Monday to Saturday with a 64-cover restaurant, 20-cover bar area and 10-cover private dining room.
The menu will feature just six options for each course, with dishes including Scallop with Black Curry, Basmati, Lime, Kumquat and Puffed Rice; Roast Squab Breast, Confit Leg Pastilla, Cauliflower, Rhubarb and Ras el Hanout; and Blood Orange Mousse, Yogurt Sorbet, Lemon Confit, Sparkling Grapefruit.
David said the wine list would have an ‘accessible’ price point, while offering a broad selection from Europe and further afield
Monica rose to fame as a judge on the BBC’s Masterchef – The Professionals in 2009 and worked as senior sous chef at two Michelin-starred restaurant Le Gavroche for 12 years until 2015.
David joined Le Gavroche in 2001, where he met Monica and the pair married in 2004. He became head sommelier at the restaurant in 2008 before departing in 2016 to focus on the opening of Mere.
Mere is now available for bookings at mere-restaurant.com