St James’s all-day café and wine bar Locket’s closes
The all-day café and wine bar was launched at the end of 2019 by the team behind fine-dining restaurant Wiltons and Italian restaurant Franco’s - also in St James’s – and was a European-inspired café that was positioned as a more casual alternative.
It was the first opening in more than 70 years for the family-owned restaurant group and was named after Locket Hambro, the daughter of Wiltons Group co-owner Jamie Hambro.
The group will continue to run its sister restaurants Franco’s and Wiltons, both of which are located on Jermyn Street and which have a long and colourful history.
Last year Wiltons celebrated its 280th anniversary with the business launched as shellfish-mongers located close to Haymarket in 1742 by George William Wilton. After 28 years of running the business, he passed it on to his son Francis Charles Wilton who, in 1805, left it to his nephew William Nichol Wilton.
In 1824 the business, now know as the Oyster Rooms, moved to Little King Street and later relocated to Great Ryder Street and then again to Kings Street.
In 1886 the then owner, Frank Wilton died childless, and the restaurant left the Wilton family. David Edwin Winder bought Wiltons Oyster Rooms in 1889 and moved to larger premises in Duke Street.
In 1913 Wiltons moved back to Kings Street and in 1964 it relocated yet again, this time to Bury Street. It moved to its current location on Jermyn Street in 1984.
Franco’s opened in 1945 and is believed to be one of the first Italian restaurants in London.
