Michael Carr has been appointed head chef of Fenchurch Restaurant at Sky Garden and is set to serve up “super creative, fun-loving” food alongside 360-degree views of London.
The restaurant, which is run by Rhubarb, sits on the 37th storey of 20 Fenchurch Street, affectionately known as the ‘walkie-talkie’ building. It will reopen on 4 September with Carr at the helm.
The chef told The Caterer: “It’s really beautiful up there. The restaurant overlooks the whole of London – it’s a 360-degree view. Trying to cook food to match that view really appealed to me. The whole emphasis is really tasty food in a beautiful setting.”
The restaurant will reopen with an à la carte menu, with tasting menus introduced as more people return to the centre of London.
Dishes on the opening menu will include pan-seared turbot, peas, broad beans, asparagus and Amalfi lemon cream; oven-roasted chicken breast, truffle pomme purée, girolles and creamed chicken jus; and homemade gnocchi, morels, freshly shaved truffle, lemon and Parmesan foam.
Carr added: “We’ll be using lovely British produce and creating food that is interactive, fun to the eye and super tasty with flavour in every mouthful.
“It will be British fine dining with some Asian influences and classic French techniques in there – it’s a mismatch, but super creative and fun-loving food.”
Sebastian Grygier, director of Sky Garden, said: “We are very excited to have Michael on board. With his impressive experience leading a team and overseeing a restaurant, he will be in supporting Fenchurch as it gets up and running again. His creative new menus are sure to delight diners.”
Carr was chef-patron of Restaurant 92 in Harrogate for three years to 2019. The restaurant had been listed in both the Michelin and Good Food guides, as well as receiving praise from The Observer's Jay Rayner for his "huge flavours" and "admirable risks".
The chef, who earlier in his career worked with the Gordon Ramsay Group and at Alyn Williams at the Westbury, went on to spend much of 2019 working with Simon Gueller at the Box Tree in Ilkley.
The restaurant will initially open for lunch and dinner on Fridays and Saturdays, offering 50% off food and soft drinks (up to £10 per person), through all of September.