Comptoir Group returns to expansion with Southbank Centre opening

Comptoir Group is to open a restaurant at the Southbank Centre in London around Easter of 2024.

The company behind the Comptoir Libanais, Yalla-Yalla and Shawa brand has taken a site opposite the entrance to Royal Festival Hall.

It will serve an all-day menu including a new Middle Eastern-inspired breakfast, as well as the group's best-selling sharing platters of hot and cold mezze, grills, salads and wraps to eat-in or takeaway.

The 135-cover restaurant will feature a 48-cover outdoor seating area and offer a range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails, specialist beers and Lebanese wines.

It will be the 23rd restaurant in the group after it returned to the expansion trail with an opening in Ealing this autumn after a four-year break.

Comptoir Group's board has had a turbulent 18 months which saw its chairman and chief executive step down in August 2022 following a battle for control of the business with founder Tony Kitous.

Former Leon managing director Nick Ayerst took over as chief executive in October with an eye on opening further restaurants.

"Following the successful recent opening in Ealing, we are pleased to announce the continued strategic growth in an area of London we have long desired to be in," said Ayerst.

"The location on the South Bank captures an immensely high footfall of both workers, visitors and tourists who we know will be hungry for our well-loved authentic Middle Eastern food and culture".

Comptoir Group owns and operates 27 Lebanese restaurants, six of which are franchised, based predominately in the UK.

The flagship brand of the group, Comptoir Libanais, is a collection of 22 restaurants located across London and nationwide, including cities such as Manchester, Bath, Birmingham, Oxford and Exeter.