Levan in London’s Peckham appoints new head chef

Rani Raimondi has been appointed head chef at Levan in London’s Peckham.

Raimondi, originally from Naples, joins Mark Gurney and Matt Bushnell’s restaurant having worked at other London sites including two-Michelin-starred Clove Club in Shoreditch, Planque in Dalston and La Compagnie in Covent Garden.

He has taken over from Philip Limpl, who was appointed head chef in 2023 but has since moved back to Austria.

At Levan, Raimondi will be serving dishes infusing his love for French cuisine with his culinary heritage, such as beef tartare à la Parisienne rosti, barbecue sea bass with vin jaune and Tunworth filled tortelli with truffle in brodo.

The restaurant, which first opened in 2018, has also undergone a refresh of its interiors to now feature softened lighting, carefully curated art and a burgundy colour scheme.

Gurney said: “Rani’s cooking brings an incredible mix of creativity, generosity and flavour to the menu at Levan, with each dish celebrating his experience cooking across Europe. We’re delighted to be kicking off the year with a new look and energy and can’t wait to share it with our customers.”

Bushnell added: “Levan has always been about good times, great food and a place where people feel at home. With Rani joining and the space getting a little lift, it feels like the start of a very exciting next chapter.”

Levan was originally founded by Gurney, Bushnell and Nicholas Balfe, but in 2023, the trio announced their “collective decision” to part ways after six years of collaboration due to the challenges of operating restaurants with a 150-mile gap between them.