Former Marco Pierre White head chef Robert Reid appointed executive chef of Balthazar
Robert Reid, the former head chef of Marco Pierre White's three-Michelin-starred Oak Room, has been appointed as executive chef of the London outpost of Balthazar, Keith McNally's famous New York restaurant.
Reid will head up the kitchen at French brasserie Balthazar, which is backed by hospitality tycoon Richard Caring and is opening its doors on the site of the former Theatre Museum in Covent Garden in mid-February.
He spent nine years working with White in the late 1990s before being made redundant in 2002 and was also head chef at Home House, the private members' club in Mayfair.
Reid will be joined by former Ritz head pastry chef Regis Beauregard, who will head up the bakery next door to the restaurant. Meanwhile former Savoy Grill maître d' Byron Lang will oversee the front of house as general manager.
Balthazar, located on the corner of Russell Street and Wellington Street, will be housed in a building called the Flower Cellars, sharing its space with the London Film Museum, with a capacity of 150 covers. Interiors will resemble the New York original reminiscent of the style of a classic French brasserie.
Open from breakfast though to dinner as well as weekend brunch, Balthazar London will serve a wide selection of fruits de mer as well as a menu of classic French brasserie and bistro dishes. The bakery will offer a selection of artisan breads and homemade pastries, salads and sandwiches to take away throughout the day.
New York's 180-seat Balthazar was opened by Bethnal Green-born McNally in New York's SoHo district in 1997. McNally's restaurant empire in New York numbers eight businesses, including Pastis, Schiller's Liquor Bar and Minetta Tavern.
Keith McNally hoping to open Balthazar in London >>
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By Kerstin Kühn
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