South Kensington does very well for classic restaurants like Ognisko and Daquise, but it hasn't been somewhere you'd cross town for to eat for quite some time. That makes the arrival of The Lavery there this spring of real interest to us.
The events space, restaurant and cafe is taking over what used to be Cromwell Place, right opposite the Natural History Museum. The restaurant is the first place to open and the team that's been assembled make it sound like something you're going to want to know about.
First up is the chef. Yohei Furuhashi was senior chef at the River Cafe for nine years and, most recently, was head chef at Toklas for the past three years. He's brought in another Toklas alumnus, Alcides Gauto, to run the front of house. You might also know Alcides from his time at Llewelyn's along with the eight years he spent at Rochelle Canteen.
Furuhashi's menu roams around the Mediterranean (as so many new London openings do) but also has a touchpoint in Scotland, most particularly produce from Scotland’s Balcaskie Estate. That means dishes ranging from Scottish scallops with alubia beans and radicchio to gnocchi with fresh peas and hen of the woods and rhubarb galette. Those dishes will be matched by a wine list that understands that South Ken residents are more likely to want classic options as well as the funkier stuff.
Later in the spring the restaurant will be joined by an all-day cafe which will be a handy spot to grab a coffee or for visitors to Museum Mile to pop in for lunch.
More about The Lavery
Where is it? 4 Cromwell Place, London SW7 2JE
When does it open? 25 March 2025
Find out more: Visit their website.
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