History & Philosophy
In 2006, a 49% stake in Conran Restaurants was acquired by Chairman and Chief Executive, Des Gunewardena, Managing Director, David Loewi and their management team. D&D London has opened two new restaurants in Tokyo, one in London, and has most recently acquired Image Restaurants in London.
Opened in 1989 and launching the current collection of restaurants was Blueprint Café, ideally positioned above the London Design Museum.
Le Pont de la Tour opened in the Butlers Wharf Building in 1991 and was closely followed on site by Cantina del Ponte and the Chop House. A wine merchant, food store, coffee kiosk and bakery which supplies breads to all of the restaurants and the food store, were all developed within the complex which is now known as The Butlers Wharf Gastrodrome.
Quaglino's in St. James's opened in February 1993. Quaglino's takes its name from Giovanni Quaglino, the owner of the original restaurant, which was frequented by high society from the 1930's through to the late 1960's.
After extensive refurbishment of the original 1920's garage on the Kings Road, Chelsea, Bluebird was opened in May 1997. The site includes a restaurant and bar, private member's bar and a café with outside courtyard seating. Bluebird Epicerie opened in 2006 offering quality food products and wine. In 2007 Bluebird celebrates its 10th anniversary with the refurbishment of the restaurant and bar and the opening of Bluebird Dining Rooms as a dedicated event space.
In October 1997 Orrery opened in Marylebone High Street. It is an intimate, neighbourhood restaurant overlooking Marylebone Church Gardens from its prime position on the first floor of a converted stable block. After years of neglect, the original Burton Stable building was renovated to provide space for one of the most elegant restaurants in London.
Sartoria, meaning, 'tailor' in Italian, opened in Savile Row in June 1998. This elegant and sophisticated Milanese-style restaurant seats almost 120 people and also includes two private dining rooms and a bar. Its design is inspired by the Italian Rationalists, whilst the menu draws on contemporary Italian cooking.
Coq d'Argent based in the heart of the City, opened in August 1998. Situated on the rooftop of No 1 Poultry, Coq is a place to relax and enjoy great food and wine in tranquil surroundings. During the summer, customers are able to enjoy the three roof terraces and their spectacular views; the gardens were designed by landscape architect Lady Arabella Lennox-Boyd to provide flowering plants throughout the year. The menu is regional French and the superb wine list contains over 500 wines.
The first D&D London restaurant to open outside of London was Alcazar in November 1998, situated on rue Mazarine, just off Boulevard St Germain, in Paris. The building was originally a printing house before it was transformed into the legendary Alcazar, a hugely popular restaurant and cabaret-bar in the 1970's. The 220-seat restaurant occupies the ground floor, with a bar on the mezzanine level where another 90 people can drink, eat and talk and - at night - listen to the sounds of some of best DJ's in Paris. The mezzanine also contains a 30-seat room for private hire. The menu, in the main, is classically French but also draws on international cuisine including some British favourites.
The Great Eastern Hotel involved the redevelopment of the only hotel in the City of London, at Liverpool Street Station. It boasts 267 bedrooms, a gym, and a collection of highly individual restaurant and bars. The listed interiors have been given a contemporary twist to create a modern classic. The names of the restaurants are, Aurora, Terminus, Fishmarket, George, and Miyabi. The Great Eastern was opened in November 1999 and was sold in March 2006 to Global Hyatt Corporation and JER Partners.
Guastavino's opened in January 2000 and is the first D&D London restaurant in the USA, located at Bridgemarket in New York. Guastavino's is set in the space underneath the 59th Street Bridge, in Manhattan. Guastavino's takes its name from the nineteenth century architect, Rafael Guastavino, who designed the dramatic site which was originally used as a farmers' market. The breathtaking atmosphere is a perfect visual complement to mouth-watering modern New York cuisine. It is open to take private parties and functions.
Opened in December 2001, Almeida is located just off Upper Street in Islington and opposite the renowned Almeida Theatre. The 98 seat restaurant has a 15 seat bar and 16 seat private dining room. The food encompasses robust French regional classics and the restaurant is famous for its trolleys of charcuterie and tarts.
June 2003 saw the launch of the Grand Café and Bar in the Grade 1 listed Royal Exchange Building at Bank in the heart of the City. It offers light breakfasts and an all day dining menu which features crustacea, salads, tartines, sandwiches and soups. The popular Mezzanine bar has a more relaxed lounge style and serves classic and contemporary cocktails. In 2005 a private dining room was added and Sauterelle, an elegant regional French restaurant was opened on the south mezzanine in November of the same year.
Plateau at Canary Wharf opened in October 2003 and consists of a bar & grill, restaurant, private dining room, cigar lounge and two outside terraces. It has a glazed frontage which swathes the room in natural light creating a sense of calm. The food is modern French, offering exciting and unusual combinations of the best seasonal ingredients
In September 2004, Paternoster Chop House was opened. Located a stone's throw from the imposing and beautiful St. Paul's Cathedral, the restaurant offers hearty and robust British cooking, including dishes of suckling pig and steak and kidney pudding, all served in spacious and contemporary surroundings.
The redevelopment of Mezzo in the heart of Londons' Soho was completed in September 2004. The new site is now home to; La Casa del Habano, a luxury cigar bar and boutique and Meza, a Spanish tapas bar and lounge, with one of the most extensive sherry lists in London. Completing the trio, Floridita London, is a vibrant and contemporary Cuban bar, restaurant and nightclub which offers the very best of Cuban music, cocktails, cigars and food, taking inspiration from the original Floridita bar in Havana, Cuba.
Custom House in Copenhagen opened in November 2006 and is the result of a joint venture with leading Danish property company, Centerplan. It is the group's first restaurant opening in Denmark. The project involved the refurbishment of a 13,000 sq ft 19th Century former customs office building located opposite Copenhagen's new Opera House in Holmen. Custom House's restaurants include Bacino, an Italian restaurant, Custom House Bar and Grill and Ebisu, a Japanese restaurant. The development also houses a deli and private dining and banqueting space. Custom House has extensive outdoor seating offering spectacular views across the harbour
In conjuntion with Japanese restaurant group Hiramatsu, D&D London opened its first restaurants in Tokyo in March 2007. Botanica is a bustling modern restaurant offering a contemporary European menu, located on the 4th floor of the new landmark Tokyo Midtown building, Botanica offers outside dining on its richly planted garden terrace. Iconic is situated on the 9th floor of a building overlooking the busy Ginza district, consisting of four areas, a restaurant, the Plaza Bar, a function room and private dining rooms. Noodle Workshop is a specialist deli also located within the Tokyo Midtown building offering a range of freshly prepared hot and cold noodle dishes, salads and pastries to take away or eat on the premises.
Bluebird re-opened in April 2007 after a complete refurbishment of its restaurant and bar. A dramatically modernised interior has been designed by Conran & Partners with colours shifting to warm chocolate browns and deep reds, adding intimacy to the lofty space. The dining room features a combination of classic British furniture and contemporary pieces and the installation of steel plate chandeliers are a visual feature of the eclectic yet relaxing space.
Skylon opened on 29 May 2007. Skylon is situated in the Royal Festival Hall at the Southbank Centre, which has undergone a multi-million pound refurbishment. Located on Level Three, Skylon offers a spectacular panorama of London's skyline with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the River Thames. Skylon is the flagship restaurant at this redeveloped site, at the centre of one of London's most significant and cultural openings in years. The design of the restaurant echoes the style of the original 1950's Royal Festival Hall with contemporary touches added, featuring five bespoke bronze metal chandeliers, and a colour scheme reflecting the original building's palette, with tones of olive greens and gold.
Image Restaurants - The Avenue, Kensington Place and Launceston Place D&D London announced on the 22nd of June 2007 that it had agreed terms to acquire Image Restaurants, the owner of The Avenue, Kensington Place and Launceston Place in London. Kensington Place and The Avenue in particular are two of the restaurants that defined the renaissance of eating out in London in the 1990's, and they continue to be popular and successful.
Future Projects
D&D London has exchanged contracts with the Birmingham Development Company to develop a 12,000 square foot rooftop space at The Cube in Birmingham into a complex of restaurants with associated bars, private rooms and gardens. The venture at The Cube represents D&D's first venture outside of London in the UK following recent openings in Copenhagen and Tokyo.
For further information on D&D London restaurants please contact:
Anabelle Tilley, Press and Marketing Officer.
Tel: 020 7716 7811 or email: annabellet@danddlondon.com