Tom Sellers to step back from Restaurant Ours at the end of June

Chef and restaurateur Tom Sellers is to step back from Restaurant Ours, the London restaurant he opened in April 2016.

He has also revealed that he is in final negotiations on an as-yet-unnamed project in Asia.

“Chef/restaurateur Tom Sellers will complete his culinary consultancy contract with Restaurant Ours in London at the end of June 2017,” a statement today confirms.

“He will then take up a more general role on the restaurant’s board, as that business develops.  Tom is concentrating on his Michelin-starred Restaurant Story in Bermondsey, London, and his Sussex pub, The Lickfold Inn, and is in final negotiation on a new project in Asia, but no further details on this are available just yet.”

The 120-cover Restaurant Ours opened at 264 Brompton Road in 2016, backed by the Reuben Brothers, and pitched as a highly anticipated follow up to the chef’s Michelin-starred Restaurant Story in Bermondsey.

Sellers took on the role of culinary advisor, working closely with head chef Daniel Phippard to create seasonal, European-British-style dishes.

The opening team had considerable industry pedigree, including Sam Sédécias ‒ formerly of Nobu and Chotto Matte ‒ as general manager, and Keira Pearse ‒ formerly of Shangri­La, the Shard, Restaurant Story, and Bistro Union ‒ as operations manager.

The site features a triple-height space, central bar, mezzanine, lounging and dining level, plus a 24-seat private dining room.

Typical dishes include salmon tartare with radish and bergamot, burrata with smoked tomato, and clam and mussel tagliatelle. There are also Robata meat grills and sides such as ratatouille, mac and four cheeses, and truffled mashed potato.

The restaurant failed to win over critics upon opening, however, with Marina O’Loughlin of The Guardian giving it two out of five stars, and Fay Maschler of the Evening Standard awarding it just one, saying its dishes were “designed for Instagram, not the mouth”.