Chef Steve Drake is leaving Drakes on the Pond in Abinger Hammer, Surrey, to open his own restaurant. Drake and his wife Serena have bought the freehold of Michel's restaurant in nearby Ripley for an undisclosed sum.
The previous owners were Michel and Dorothy Albina. Michel's, which is no longer trading, will reopen as Drake's restaurant in mid-January.
Drake has been head chef at Drakes on the Pond for just over three years. Its owners, John Morris and Tracey Honeysett, launched the restaurant in October 2000, just before Drake won the Roux Scholarship the following year. In 2003 the restaurant was awarded a Michelin star.
Simon Attridge, head chef at Heston Blumenthal's Riverside Brasserie in Bray, Berkshire, will replace Drake and join Drakes on the Pond in the New Year. Drake's last day will be Christmas Eve. Honeysett said Drakes on the Pond would retain its name.
Drake said: "I'm building for my family's future. We've pursued buying Michel's for a while, but Michel Albina didn't want to sell initially. It's a lovely restaurant with a lovely garden and we don't plan to do much to it."
Drake will open with just himself in the kitchen, while Serena will run front of house. The couple plan to recruit a sommelier. Maximum seating at the restaurant is 40 at the moment, but the Drakes aim to have a 30-seat limit. Funding for the project came from the Drakes' own savings and from family investment.
He said: "I've always wanted my own restaurant and the aim is to get a Michelin star there. The decision to move was as much a lifestyle thing as anything: I've been commuting 100 miles a day to and from work and I wanted to move away from that."
He added that an annexe to the restaurant meant that adding three or four rooms was feasible.