Rare Restaurants to close final M Restaurant

Rare Restaurants is to close its final M Restaurant site in London after 10 years of trading.

CityAM reports the original Threadneedle Street steak restaurant will shut its doors for good next week.

It comes after M’s founder Martin Williams left Rare Restaurants in October and later joined Evolv Collection, the rebranded D&D London, as chief executive.

CityAM reports Rare Restaurants’ new chief executive Baton Berisha, who joined in March after working at Wolseley Hospitality Group, is looking to focus on its Gaucho restaurant brand.

Staff will be offered alternative roles at its sister Gaucho restaurants.

Rare Restaurants will also reportedly close its Crane Tap pub in Twickenham next week, leaving the group with only the Gaucho brand.

M was founded by Williams in 2014 and it opened restaurants in London’s Victoria and Canary Wharf, alongside M Bar and Grill in Twickenham, all of which have since closed.

The brand was snapped up by the owner of Gaucho in 2019 , which brought the two brands together to form Rare Restaurants with Williams as chief executive.

Gaucho trades from 20 restaurants across the UK and launched its first grab and go spin-off restaurant, Gaucho Go, last month.

Rare Restaurants has been contacted for comment.