Pierre Koffmann to Open New Restaurant at London's Berkeley Hotel

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed)
Apr 22nd 2010 at 6:31PM

Award-winning chef Pierre Koffmann to open new namesake restaurant at The Berkeley hotel in London in June 2010

In June, legendary French chef Pierre Koffmann, whose name has been synonymous with some of the finest French food in the world for the past 35 years, will open Koffmann's in The Berkeley hotel in Knightsbridge, London.

Encouraged by his rave reviews and enthusiastic welcome back into the London culinary scene with his Selfridges pop-up restaurant in October 2009, Koffmann, a Michelin star-winning chef, is excited to embark on this next stage in his distinguished career.

"I have been searching for the perfect new restaurant site for several years," says Koffmann. "I am thrilled to be returning to a place I know and love."

This new venture will see Koffmann move away from his much applauded haute cuisine menu, and into a more relaxed, informal style while still embracing his classic, provincial, French culinary roots. His greatest passion is to be behind the stove, cooking the dishes he loves, many inspired by his maternal grandmother Camille, and this new restaurant will give him the freedom to express this vision.

The restaurant will offer hearty, robust, seasonal dishes, many influenced by his Gascon heritage, with a good value menu du jour which changes daily. Some dishes will be designed to highlight the theater of carving and confident performance à la table. Many of Koffmann's signature favorites, such as Scallops with squid ink, Braised pig's trotter with morels, and Pistachio soufflé with pistachio ice cream, will also be featured.

The restaurant will offer assured, attentive service, creating a convivial ''bonhomie'' atmosphere, attracting customers both from the local neighborhood, who may visit several times a week, to culinary pilgrims paying homage to one of the grand masters of cooking.

The move marks a return home for Pierre Koffmann to The Berkeley, where he operated the legendary La Tante Claire restaurant from 1998 to 2003, and confirms the hotel's standing as one of the leading players on the London gastronomic stage.

"Bringing Pierre Koffmann back to The Berkeley is a culinary dream come true," says Klaus Kabelitz, general manager of The Berkeley. "Pierre is a gifted chef, admired by customers and critics alike. We are delighted that he is returning to us, and that we will now have two outstanding chefs – Marcus Wareing and Pierre Koffmann – under the same roof at The Berkeley."

The restaurant will be located in the site currently occupied by Boxwood Café, which will close in late April 2010.

Tags: haute cuisine, Knightsbridge, London, Marcus Wareing, michelin guide, michelin stars, Pierre Koffmann, restaurant, The Berkeley, The Berkeley Hotel