Woodhead Restaurant Group has taken on the site formerly home to Michelin-starred Bonhams, which closed in December, within the international auction house of the same name.
It will relaunch the space as Emilia, a 40-cover café and wine bar and a 30-cover restaurant with a menu inspired by the north Italian region of Emilia-Romagna.
The kitchen team will be led by Stuart Andrew, current head chef of Clipstone, who will act as executive chef across both restaurants.
The upstairs restaurant menu will be split in to snacks/antipasti, first courses, second courses and a pasta section, with a table displaying the day’s desserts and cheeses. Dishes will include smoked eel tortellini in brodo; roast haunch of venison with beetroot risotto; and wild strawberry crostata.
An ‘everyday’ wine list on the back of the menu will have a ‘slight leaning’ towards the Italian Penninsula, while a separate ‘Auction List’ will feature the 100+ selection of rare bottles sourced by Richard Harvery, Master of Wine and head of Bonham's wine department.
The former Bonham's restaurant shut last year after the 225-year-old auction house was sold to private equity firm Epiris. Its chef Tom Kemble is now heading up The Pass restaurant at South Lodge near Horsham, Sussex.
Emilia will open on 26 April.