Romy Gill takes over The Pem in St James, now shifting to regional Indian cooking

Just over a year ago, Sally Abé left The Pem, the restaurant she launched at The Conrad St James, four years before (since launching the very successful Teal). While the restaurant has been running well since then, it's been without a named chef at the helm, and now that's changing. 

Taking over is Romy Gill, a chef who has actually cooked there before, once teaming up with Sally Abé as part of their "The Pem Presents" series. In recent years, she's been best known for her bestselling cookbooks and this will be her first permanent restaurant kitchen in six years (since Romy's Kitchen in Thornbury). She was also awarded an MBE in the Queen's 90th birthday honours for services to the hospitality industry.

With Romy Gill taking over, there's also going to be a big change to the menu at The Pem. Until now, the restaurant has been about British cooking, and it'll stay that way until Gill takes over in the Autumn. When Romy Gill at The Pem launches, the menu will shift to regional Indian cooking. While the menu is yet to be revealed, we know to expect "rich curries, smoky grills, slow-braised dishes and plates designed for sharing sit alongside newer ideas shaped by her travels across India."

Of the restaurant, Romy Gill says, "I want The Pem to feel lively and full of energy. The kind of restaurant where people stay longer than they planned, order another dish because the table next to them had it, and leave already thinking about when they're coming back. That's how I love to eat, and that's what I want to create here."

It sounds like this could become a proper destination restaurant for the area, and we'll bring you all more details closer to the opening.