Called Walter’s, it is named after Walter Hathaway, a local master milliner, costumier and original owner of the building in which the restaurant is housed and will launch in January 2022.
It will be headed up in the kitchen by head chef Khalid Hassan, whose CV includes time at London restaurants Social Eating House, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon and Murano. His menu will include snacks, such as trout skin with a cod roe dip and truffle arancini; and starters and small plates including Bloody Mary crab salad; apricot and harissa glazed lamb belly; and Jerusalem artichoke orzo risotto. Mains, meanwhile, will include roasted venison loin and parsnip; and roasted hake with romesco sauce as well as ox cheek and mushroom pie and a whole sea bass served table-side.
The wine list will focus on bottles from regions both well and lesser known with an emphasis on sparkling wines and grower champagnes.
The 50-cover dining room will be split into two distinct spaces: a dining room to the front and a lounge area to the rear. Decor features will include original wooden floorboards and exposed brickwork and a central bar. There will also be a wine cellar with every bottle in the collection available for sale.
“We have had such a journey since opening The Oystermen, our first bricks and mortar site just over four years ago,” say the pair.
“Walter’s feels like a very natural next step for us, we are moving down south, to a neighbourhood we know and love. We can’t wait to create a spot for people to relax and enjoy great food at any time of day.”
The Oystermen started life as a pop up before opening a permanent site on Covent Garden’s Henrietta Street in 2017. Originally a 26-cover restaurant, it doubled capacity a year later when it acquired the neighbouring site.
