Stephen Tozer and Ed Brunet, the co-founders of Le Bab, have applied to open a site at the new Mercer Walk development under their company Avant Restaurants. The new venture is described as being a “modern Middle Eastern restaurant with fine dining and a chef’s table”.
The Mercer Walk development involves the redevelopment of a nineteenth century warehouse into a flagship H&M store and the construction of three new buildings providing 24 apartments, three shops and two restaurants. The scheme is arranged around a new piazza linking Mercers Street and Langley Street.
Chef Neil Rankin is also believed to have been in talks on opening a restaurant at the development, according to BigHospitality’s sister website MCA.
Le Bab, which counts Iqbal Wahhab, the man behind the Cinammon Club and Roast, as an advisor, launched in Kingly Court in Soho, in 2015. It is the brainchild of Tozer and ex-chef de partie at La Gavroche, Brunet.
The restaurant recently produced its fits cookbook, The Modern Kebab, featuring 60 recipes from Le Bab, including its cauliflower pastille; and merguez and chickpea ragu and kebabs that include grilled mackerel with dill, pickle and fennel; spring chicken with sprouting broccoli and harissa mayo; and winter pork with beetroot relish, charred cabbage and crackling.