Ackerman launch recalls grand cafés of Europe

Veteran restaurateur and consultant Roy Ackerman has teamed up with Hilton to launch a new restaurant at the Hilton Waldorf on London's Aldwych in October.

Homage will be a "tribute" to the grand cafés of Europe and forms part of the hotel's £26m refurbishment since Hilton took over the lease from the Royal Bank of Scotland in December last year.

The new restaurant has been created out of the original Minstrel dining room which has not been used by the public for many years. It cost £4m to develop and includes a 40-seat patisserie, 60-seat bar and 100-seat Grand Salon. Homage will be open from breakfast to late evening and will serve traditional old favourites with an emphasis on French wine.

Ackerman said the concept came from the series of books he has written on the grand cafés of Europe that he felt had been missing from the London scene.