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Dear

An email was doing the rounds last week about two restaurant booking platforms that seem to have fallen out. The relatively new SevenRooms, which is starting to be used by more operators in London, is apparently no longer going to be compatible with OpenTable – a deliberate act from the behemoth online reservations website. We're still getting our heads around what this exactly means for operators but we've no doubt we'll hear more in the next few weeks. We'll be sure to pick up on this in due course.

Online booking platforms drive a lot of covers to restaurants but at CODE we still also like to pick up the phone and speak to someone. Not only does it often allow you to get a table when it says nothing’s available online, but when you're running late, it's nice to be able to call and let the restaurant know. We hope properly manned telephones won't be a thing of the past. After all, we all carry one 24/7 and you know, it's good to talk.

Have a good week.

CODE

Sam's Riverside

Restaurateur Sam Harrison is opening a new site, in Hammersmith. Harrison, who used to own Sam’s Brasserie and Harrison's, has signed industry legend Rowley Leigh as culinary director for Sam’s Riverside, which will launch on Queen Caroline Street in late summer. Rounding out the team is head chef Harvey Trollope, late of The Ritz and Wheeler’s. The 90-cover all day-restaurant will offer a modern European menu.
Momo

Heddon Street has changed enormously since Mourad Mazouz first opened Momo 23 years ago, but the restaurant is still a fixture and after a spruce-up is reopening later this month. There will be a new menu of European dishes with Middle Eastern accents, by executive head chef Hervé Deville, who worked with Pierre Gagnaire at Sketch Mayfair for seven years. In April, Momo will open Kwānt in the basement, a 19th-century-style cocktail bar.

Great British Menu

This year’s Great British Menu competition for chefs has announced its line-up of contestants, and there are several names familiar from the London restaurant scene. CODE looks forward to seeing how Ben Marks of Perilla, Sabrina Gidda of AllBright, Luke Selby of Hide, Tom Anglesea of The Laughing Heart and Paul Walsh of City Social get on. 
Murphia List

Announced today in advance of Friday’s St Patrick’s Day is the fifth annual Murphia List of Irish men and women influential in our food scene. Compiled by Catherine and Gavin Hanly of Hot Dinners, new entries this year include Mark and Alan Wogan of Homeslice, Anna Haugh (soon to open Myrtle), Geroid Devaney of Trade and Fiona Hannon of Bentley’s. Many familiar names appear too, of course - from Richard Corrigan to Oisin Rogers.

Opening ...

John Chantarasak, formerly of Som Saa, is popping-up with his AngloThai venture at Montgrove Bothy in Finsbury Park from Thursday for three weeks…
In April, Adolfo de Cecco, the former head chef at Pidgin, will open Casa Fofó in Clapton, with a daily-changing menu… Serata Hall, the new all-day bar and restaurant from the team behind Martello Hall and Canova Hall
will open at 207 Old Street
on 3 April…
... and closing

Many reacted with sadness at the news of Kensington Place’s closure. The restaurant and attached fish shop will stop serving on 21 March (see above for what one-time chef Rowley Leigh is up to)… Ceremony, the popular Tufnell Park veggie restaurant is closing at the end of the month, its owners citing needing to concentrate on family… Dalston’s Screwdriver is closed after less than a year…

Angela Hartnett

Congratulations to Angela Hartnett, who has been announced as the new judge of the BBC show Britain’s Best Home Cook, joining the panel of Mary Berry and Chris Bavin. Hartnett is already a familiar and much-loved figure on TV with regular appearances on Saturday Kitchen and Great British Menu.
Guillaume Gillan

Bōkan, the modern European restaurant on the 37-39th floor of a building in Marsh Wall, Canary Wharf, has announced that Guillaume Gillan has been promoted from head chef to executive chef. He brings with him extensive experience at the restaurants of Joël Robuchon, Alain Ducasse and Paul Augier.

Bar Manager, Bar Americain at Brasserie Zédel

Bar Americain is looking for an exerienced bar manager with a classic background. Zédel’s Bar Américain is located just across the foyer to the Brasserie and is a classic American bar serving traditional mixed drinks in a glamourous and entirely authentic Art Deco setting.

We’re looking for a candidate with at least 5 years management experience who can lead a diverse team of bartenders, waiters and hosts.

Click here to read more
Head Chef, Kyseri

 

 

Kyseri is looking for a Head Chef to join our family. Opened in 2018, by Selin Kiazim & Laura Christie (of Oklava, Shoreditch), Kyseri serves creative and contemporary Turkish & Mediterranean cuisine, using the finest ingredients in the UK.


We offer a cooking-led management role, with opportunities to create new dishes and concepts for the restaurant. We are looking for a team player with a love and passion for cooking, learning, and motivating their team.

Click here to read more
Marketing Executive, Gaucho Restaurants

An excellent opportunity to work within a highly skilled team and develop through the ranks of a company with a strong culture and brand presence in both London and regionally. Currently under new direction with new ownership, the company has ambitious growth plans.
The marketing executive will possess hospitality experience in a similar role, be a team player, able to prioritise and manage projects to set deadlines, delivering high quality activations, events and marketing campaigns. This person must have marketing experience, with PR experience being an advantage but not a requirement.

Click here to read more
Bar Manager, CULTUREPLEX

Does the sound of building a dispense bar ‘engine’, serving 4 outlets excite you?
Does developing the team to run that engine excite you?

Are you passionate about drinks and creative in development?

Do you see stock as something to be organised and controlled?

Do you live in Manchester or are you happy to relocate?

If you answer yes to these questions and have 2 years of bar management experience, then you should apply. Now.

Click here to read more

Monday March 11

Tuesday March 12

Lord Logs himself, Mark Parr, told the Dumbwaiter the other night that he finally got around to writing his book proposal. He submitted it at 9am and by 4pm had a publishing offer. His company, the London Log Co., supplies the best restaurants – now we won’t have too long to wait to hear the secrets of London’s best firestarter.

Anyone in Britain’s restaurant community that’s a bit cheesed off that they didn’t get invited to the World Restaurant Awards last month in Paris shouldn’t feel ostracised – organiser Joe Warwick told the Dumbwaiter that he “only had 600 seats”. Maybe hold it in the O2 next year, Joe?

This week’s social-media beef: Richard Harden (once of the restaurant guide of the same name) got very exercised by The Sunday Times interviewing Chris Stang of The Infatuation, suggesting that Marina O’Loughlin had written a “puff” piece. The response? A well-timed ‘handbags’ emoji.

From Brixton to Brat. Here are The Dumbwaiter's Best Bites of the week.

restaurant of the week
Dirty Bones Kensington
bar of the week
Gosnells Upstairs at Coal Rooms

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