Updated 4/6/18 with opening dates
What: The L'oscar London
In a nutshell: Holborn gets a new luxury hotel complete with restaurant, bar and cafe
Summing it all up: Holborn's credentials as a dining destination just got a boost with the news that L'Oscar hotel is opening with a Michelin-starred chef in the restaurant and an all day cafe planned too.
The low-down
With all the focus going on the new Edition hotel opening up on Russell Square, the imminent opening of L'Oscar around the corner on Southampton Row almost passed us by.
In case, like us, you had no idea this was coming, here's what you need to know.
It's going to be BEAUTIFUL
Set a former Grade II listed Baptist church that's been under wraps in Holborn for about as long as we can remember, the interior designer is none other than Jacques Garcia, the chap responsible for Hôtel Costes in Paris, La Mamounia in Marrakech and NYC's NoMad.
And that includes the restaurant
The main restaurant here is The Baptist Grill which takes over the grand octagonal double-height chapel inside the building with a glass domed ceiling.
They have a Michelin-starred chef on board.
The Executive Chef here is Tony Fleming who won a Michelin star for Angler over at South Place Hotel in its first 12 months of opening. Here, we're told, Fleming "will preach the gospel for seasonal British ingredients." Seemingly no church-related pun will go unused. Read our interview with Tony here.
Like a bit of tableside theatre? You're in luck
The Baptist Grill is going to serve up a lighter version of a traditional grill menu but there'll be plenty of classic table-side Gueridon service.
After something more relaxed? Try the cafe
The ground floor, Café L'oscar has a Venetian look to it with an illuminated onyx bar and walls and ceilings lined with mirrors and gilded panels, but the food will be pure Parisian. The all day spot will serve up breakfasts, bistro-style lunches, and intimate evening dining.
For breakfast, think viennoisierie, full English and more offbeat breakfast dishes like their eggs and hash with smoked haddock, pink firs, sultanas, fried eggs, warm dill tartare sauce. Lunch could be a house cheeseburger, or a Monte Cristo with Cumberland sauce and a herb salad and dinner dishes include:
- Beef cheek doughnuts, aioli
- Lamb belly carpaccio, sweetbreads, salsa verde
- Buttermilk fried baby chicken, chipotle dip
- Cauliflower and broccoli bhajis, mango and lentils
More about L'Oscar
Where is it? 2 Southampton Row, London WC1B 4AA
When does it open? Cafe L'oscar opens 4 June 2018. L'Oscar opens on 6 June 2018.
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @londonbaptist
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