Chef Richard Wilkins closes Notting Hill restaurant

Chef-owner Richard Wilkins has closed his 104 Restaurant in Notting Hill, London after seven years of operation.

 

Opened in 2019, 104 Restaurant was one of London’s smallest fine dining restaurants. It opened from Wednesdays to Sundays for dinner, serving both an à la carte three course menu alongside a five-course tasting menu.

 

Wilkins took the decision to close the restaurant in its current form in order to “move beyond the limitations of the model”.

 

The site built a reputation for refined, ingredient-led cooking delivered from a compact setup, with Wilkins operating as a solo chef.

 

Michelin Guide-listed, 104 Restaurant became known for its intimate format and personal style of service.

 

“I’ve taken this format as far as I can on my own,” said Wilkins. “Running a kitchen at this level completely solo has been an incredible challenge, but it also puts a ceiling on what’s possible creatively. The next step needs a different structure.”

 

He posted on the restaurant’s Instagram account: “It’s been an incredible experience running it solo and building something very personal. I’m proud of what it’s become and grateful to everyone who has supported it along the way.”

 

However, Wilkins insisted the move did not represent “a traditional closure”, instead that it was a transition. He will continue to operate through private dining, events and potential chef residencies in the short term, while exploring longer-term opportunities for a new concept.

 

“This isn’t about stepping away from cooking, it’s about building something that can go further. The last seven years have given me a clear idea of what that needs to look like,” he added.

 

104 Restaurant held its final service yesterday (26 April), before shifting to a more flexible format through to late June.

 

Last year, Wilkins was among a number of fine dining chefs reporting that hundreds of pounds of produce were stolen from outside their front doors. He said his business had been hit 20 times in the last four years.

 

The chef opened his first solo venture, the 30-cover Restaurant Richard Wilkins, in Buckhurst Hill, Essex in 2017, serving modern French fine dining cuisine, closing in 2018.

 

He previously worked at Gordon Ramsay at Pétrus in London; Trianon Palace Versailles in France; the three-Michelin-starred Waterside Inn in Bray, Berkshire; and Maison Pic in Valence, France.