Soho House to relaunch one of London's oldest French restaurants
Thought to be one of the first French restaurants in the capital, the Soho site was established by Auguste Kettner - rumoured to have been chef to Napoleon III - in 1867 and remained open throughout both World Wars.
The site was bought by Pizza Express in 2002, but returned to a French brasserie in 2008 before it closed in 2016 after being acquired by Soho House.
Now the global private member’s club operator is to relaunch the site as Kettner’s Townhouse, a French restaurant, champagne bar and hotel with 33 ‘French boudoir’ bedrooms in the New Year.
It will be the second standalone restaurant and hotel from Soho House that will be fully open to the public, following the launch of London’s Dean Street Townhouse in 2009.
Soho House says the restaurant’s menu will be inspired by the history of the building, and the dining room will keep its Grade II listed details, floral plasterwork and mirrors lining the walls.
The adjacent champagne bar will turn in to a ‘late night lounge’ in the evening, featuring art inspired by lost murals uncovered during the restoration of the site.
“Kettner’s Townhouse celebrates Soho and its local community from 1867 to today, marking a new chapter for this historic building,” Soho House said in a statement.
It follows the opening of The Ned, a mammoth 252-room London hotel with nine restaurants, which Soho House launched in partnership with Sydell Group earlier this year. The Ned’s Lutyen’s Grill restaurant, previously only available to members and hotel guests, opened to the public in December.
