Update - as the restaurant is now open - read the reviews of Koffmann's.
According to news from Richard Vines at Bloomberg this morning, Pierre Koffman is returning to the kitchen full time with a brand-new London restaurant. The new restaurant is to be called "Koffman's" and will open in the Berkeley Hotel basement, in the space recently vacated by the Boxwood Cafe.
Koffman joins Bruno Loubet as one of those celebrity chefs that sends foodies in the know into apoplexies of excitement. The original La Tante Claire was a three Michelin star favourite in London - and many are hoping that his new restaurant will mimic the recent success of both the pop-up La Tante Claire and Bistrot Bruno Loubet.
Koffman's return to the London dining scene will come as a surprise to few, as there have been consistant rumours, since his sell-out Selfridges pop-up last October, about a full-time restaurant. Hot Dinners recently witnessed Koffman having a long chat with a fellow returning French chef, Bruno Loubet at Bistro Bruno Loubet - no doubt getting some tips about returning to the London scene after a long absence.
Koffman, according to Vines, plans to centre the restautrant around the cooking of Gascony, and is on a keep fit regime to get back into shape before he hits the stove, to "try to be maybe part of the dream, be back where I was when I was 40.”
This will, no doubt, be one of the biggest openings of the year. Hot Dinners will have some more news on Koffman's soon - and in the meantime, you can read the full Richard Vines piece.
