Owners of Michelin-starred Texture plan second London restaurant

Chef and sommelier duo Agnar Sverrisson and Xavier Rousset, co-proprietors of the Michelin-starred Texture in London, are set to open a second venture in the capital.

The pair, who opened Texture on Portman Square in 2007, will launch a more casual, wine-focused sister restaurant in the City of London at the beginning of June.

Called 28-50, the 60-seat restaurant will offer a classic French menu overseen by Sverrisson, with the extensive wine list developed by Rousset. The kitchen will be headed up Paul Walsh, former sous chef at Gordon Ramsay’s three-Michelin-starred flagship restaurant on Royal Hospital Road in Chelsea.

Named after the latitudes in which most wine regions are located, 28-50 will offer an extensive wine list with 30 wines priced below £50 served by the bottle, glass and carafe. Meanwhile a collector’s list will include more expensive vintages of £50 and more.

Rousset told Caterer the pair had been looking to open a second restaurant for some time. “It took us almost a year to find this site,” he said.

“The inspiration for this restaurant has come from one of our customers at Texture who is a wine collector and said he could offer us some of his wines. We will serve collectors’ wines at a small mark up.”

Rousset also told news service Bloomberg that since winning a Michelin star this January, business at Texture had increased by 30%.

Sverrisson and Rousset met at Raymond Blanc's renowned two-Michelin-starred Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons in Oxfordshire, where Sverrisson was head chef and Rousset worked as head sommelier.

In addition, Rousset is a master sommelier and former winner of the Ruinart Sommelier of the Year, while Sverrisson can brandish a CV listing spells at prestige Michelin-starred restaurants like Pétrus, Pied à Terre and Léa Linster's Luxembourg restaurant.

 
Texture, London: A restaurant profile >>

Coconut Textures - By Agnar Sverrisson, head chef, Texture >>

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By Kerstin Kühn

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