Chef Andy Thompson, who launched London's Clerkenwell Dining Room just over two years ago with business partner Zak Jones, has confirmed that they are to open a second restaurant in the capital.
The new eaterie is to be in the Holborn area of London and will be called the Chancery, due to its proximity to Chancery Lane. It will have 50 seats and be more of a fine-dining operation than the Clerkenwell restaurant, although it will keep an informal front-of-house approach.
A spokesman for the duo said that Chancery, which is located at 9 Cursitor Street, would probably look for an average spend per head of about £50. Thompson, 33, who has worked at London icons L'Escargot and the Square as well as at one of New York's most acclaimed restaurants, Aureole, will move to Holborn to take over the new restaurant's kitchen. Nelson Reposo, who has been Thompson's number two at Clerkenwell for the past nine months will succeed him as its head chef. Italian-born Reposo has also worked with Morgan Meunier at the Admirality in Somerset House.
Thompson confirmed that Jones will run front of house at the Chancery for its first six months and said: "We've invested about £100,000 in refurbishment, and we're doing some of the work ourselves. We're hoping to open in July, although you can't always predict whether there'll be any little hitches to do with the building."