Soft launch details below
Lockhart bills itself as an upscale Southwest American kitchen featuring flavours from States like Louisiana, Texas and New Mexico while using British seasonal ingredients.
It's the brainchild of two Texan couples, Gwen and Chris Wren and Shelby and Dunny Wanstrath from Dallas and Texarkana respectively. Gwen formerly trained up as a chef at the Cordon Bleu Institute and worked as one of the chefs on Housebites where rave reviews of her Texan food convinced her that a restaurant serving up similar fare would be a hit in London.
In the kitchen is Andrew Justice, a quarter finalist of Master Chef the professionals from 2010. His last job was working at the Guardian building, so let's see whether Jay Rayner or Marina O'Loughlin are in there quickly for an early review.
Dishes on a sample menu include lobster nachos, crayfish etouffee and crab hush puppies with cajun dipping sauce. Or if all that isn't enough to make you faint with hunger - how about a Laverstoke fillet of buffalo with Oxford blue cheese grits, crispy Cajun onion rings and smoked heritage tomato?
Also at the helm is, General Manager, Bunmi, previously manager at LIMA and maitre d’ at the Michelin-star restaurant Dinner by Heston Blumenthal. "I met Andrew and thought, man I want to be part of this," Bunmi told Hot Dinners. "He's my kind of chef, Northern, humble and an extremely likeable guy."
The drinks list has been curated by American mixologist Eddie Lucky Campbell and we rather like the sound of the maple old fashioned - with cherry wood bourbon, house maple syrup or maybe the Berry Paloma with berry-infused jalapeno tequilo, grapefruit and lime juice and St Germain elderflower liqueur. "We have an incredible team," says Bunmi, "led by one of London's best female bartenders (in my humble opinion) Emilie Campesato-Mouragne."
Lockhart is at 24 Seymour Place, London W1H 7NL. Reservations are now open and the restaurant opens for business on 11 June 2013.
They are running a limited soft launch which starts on Thursday 6th - Sunday 9th June 2013 and is available for lunch and dinner with 50% off food and drink. To request a table email info@lockhartlondon.com
