American restaurant takeover in London: From Dean & Deluca to Dominique Ansel

Celebrated NYC-based chefs and restaurateurs lead a newly charged US food invasion of London with several hugely anticipated new openings popping across the pond

A digital imagining of the Dominique Ansel bakery that will open in London (Dominique Ansel bakery)

Red Rooster

Based in Harlem, Red Rooster is one of New York’s must-visit eateries and is planning a London outpost. A homage to the neighbourhood and inspired by Harlem’s iconic diner culture, this buzzy bistro serves up global soul street food and has been fundamental in bringing about a renaissance of the local culinary scene. The London venue is to be housed in the new Curtain Road “urban resort” hotel (opening in early 2017) by New York-based Michael Achenbaum of the Gansevoort Hotel Group. In addition Marcus Samuelsson will also oversee the members’ club at The Curtain Hotel.

Founded by renowed Ethiopian-Swedish chef Marcus Samuelsson (formerly of the award-wining Aquavit and a winner of Top Chef Masters) you can expect home-cooked comfort food favorites from Stockholm (gravlax, Swedish meatballs) and Harlem (mac and cheese, fried chicken, oxtail stew). Expect the London site to also replicate the laidback cheerful charm and the antique bric-a-brac and works from local artists and live music.


 The official Cronuts® will be coming to London ithis month 
 (Thomas Schauer)

Dominique Ansel

Europe is about to get its first taste of the Cronut® – Dominique Ansel, the pastry chef and owner of his eponymous bakery in New York City, has announced he’s expanding across the pond, opening a location of Dominique Ansel Bakery in London’s Belgravia later this month. The space features an open-kitchen style bakery on the ground and pastry kitchen on the second floor, with seating at hi-top tables and banquettes. There is also a courtyard with a retractable roof and a vertical garden – growing fresh herbs to use in baking. The bakery is best known for popularising the Cronut®, a croissant and doughnut hybrid, which took New York by storm and has since become a global phenomenon. It produces a different flavour each month and past flavours include rose vanilla, blackberry lime, fig mascarpone and apple creme fraiche. Expect the London outpost to feature unique creations using British produce and ingredients.

Sushisamba, Covent Garden

The second London outing for the group will occupy Covent Garden’s famed Opera Terrace within the historic Market Building, creating their latest visionary London restaurant. The Opera Terrace, which is located at the top of the Grade II listed building and comprises 9,000 sq ft including a balcony, is uniquely positioned with striking rooftop views across the Piazza, following the opening at the Salesforce (Heron) tower three years ago. A “bold and contemporary” renovation of the site will see the existing conservatory replaced with a new Eric Parry glazed design, creating an iconic addition to the Market Building.Sushisamba is known for its unique blend of Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian culture and cuisine; the Covent Garden location menus will feature new and signature dishes with an emphasis on piquant flavours, the finest ingredients and creative presentations. Complementing the cuisine, the restaurant will offer a selection of handcrafted cocktails, cultural spirits such as shochu, pisco and sake and a large selection of wine and champagne.

Aquavit

This winter, the renowned New York Nordic restaurant, Aquavit, will open in the new St James’s Market redevelopment on 1 Carlton Street. The restaurant will offer all-day dining, showcasing the very best of contemporary Nordic cuisine and design. The menu will be overseen by Emma Bengtsson, Executive Chef of the two Michelin-starred Aquavit New York, and will be executed by Head Chef Henrik Ritzen (formerly of The Dover Street Arts Club, La Petite Maison and Lutyens). Taking its inspiration from New York, but in a more relaxed and informal setting, Aquavit London will deliver an authentic, contemporary take on Nordic dining – serving Scandi-inspired dishes using locally-sourced ingredients and a menu which will constantly evolve in tune with the changing seasons. The expansive dining space is designed to showcase celebrated Nordic designers in an informal environment – overseen by the design studio of Swedish-born Martin Brudnizki, whose portfolio includes The Ivy, Scott’s and Sexy Fish – Aquavit London will have a laidback feel.

Red Farm

RedFarm, in the West Village, is a collaboration between one of New York’s greatest Chinese chefs, Joe Ng, and one of its greatest Chinese restaurateurs, Ed Schoenfeld. This groundbreaking and popular eatery dishes up an unconventional take on Chinese cuisine in a lively, rustic setting.

Joe Ng’s menu takes a clean, fresh approach to Chinese food. Signature items include clever dim sum creations for which Ng is known and small plates: Pac Man dumplings; yuzu wasabi shrimp; mushroom spring rolls that evoke a chanterelle mushroom; and a sculptural chicken salad, a grilled vegetable salad that mimics a garden plot. Modern takes on classic main dishes includes a chicken hot pot, remarkably tender marinated rib steak with steamed baby bok choy and spicy steamed sea bass. Restaurant designer Jun Aizaki, of Brooklyn’s Crème Design, designed the casual farmhouse style – think painted white brick walls, exposed wooden beams complete with wooden tables and mismatched chairs. Although a London location has yet to be confirmed, rumours are circulating that an announcement is imminent.

Wellington Hotel

Oscar-winning actor Robert De Niro is to open a boutique hotel in London’s Covent Garden, following on from his success in New York. The plans would see De Niro, Ira Drukier and Richard Born – the team behind The Greenwich Hotel in New York’s Tribeca district – open their first hotel outside of the US. The Greenwich Hotel, which opened in 2008, is popular among celebrities for its hipster aesthetic and luxury facilities.

The new 83-room boutique hotel, in Victorian and early 20th-century buildings, will also house luxury spa facilities, two restaurants, a deli/café and a members’ club, built around a central courtyard conservatory. The hotel will span a whole block of six adjacent buildings in the historic area of the capital. De Niro (who is also a co-founder of Nobu) says: “The Wellington Hotel would honour the heritage of the area, while bringing the best of what we’ve done in New York to London.” Work is scheduled to begin in 2017 if plans are approved, with construction due to to finish in 2019. The application is a joint venture by De Niro with two other developers – UK property firm Capco and America’s BD Hotels.

Black Barn

Rumours are sprouting of a London outpost of New York’s farmcentric Black Barn eatery. Designed to look like a barn, this multilevel (sprawling) rustic farmhouse-style restaurant (in the Flatiron neighbourhood) has a bar upfront, two full dining rooms, a wine cellar and several private dining rooms and views of nearby Madison Square Park. Owner and chef John Doherty (previously at the Waldorf Astoria) worked with partner Mark Zeff, whose architecture firm creates homes inspired by barns and farm houses, to design the interior of the space. Think custom furniture, whitewashed board walls, overhead crossbeams and industrial details. Cuisine is seasonal American rustic fare meets a modern farmhouse atmosphere. The farm-to-table menu, executed by Matteo Bergamini (who was the chef at SD26) features ingredients sourced from local farmers, ranchers, and fishermen. Black Barn also offers the “Kitchen Table”, a five-course tasting menu with wine pairings – with a menu created weekly to reflect the chef’s interpretation on the season’s freshest ingredients. No news yet on the confirmed London location or a scheduled opening date.

Dean & Deluca

Renowned for creating the world’s best epicurean treats for cooking, dining and in-home entertaining, the Dean & Deluca gourmet market is opening its first London location. The company’s first European branch of their upscale grocery store (part of wider expansion plans) is taking over famous London butcher Allens of Mayfair (which had been on Mount Street since 1880). This speciality food store is known for being purveyors of quality fine foods, coffees, delectable baked goods, kitchenware and gifts, as well for as their celebrity fans.

The original Dean & Deluca opened for business in September 1977 in New York’s SoHo and has added additional locations in New York City, Washington DC, Charlotte (North Carolina), Leawood (Kansas) and California’s Napa Valley. In addition, several international locations have opened in Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Philippines, South Korea and the Middle East. Expect a “Market Table,” where you can enjoy an authentic dining experience with the design imagining the old atmosphere of a fictional restaurant, as it might have existed in 1973 New York – when the first Dean & Deluca opened – and a “Market Store,” which includes a bakery and grocery sections. Opening is planned for sometime early next year.

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