Jason Atherton reveals more details on second London restaurant the Social Eating House
Pollen Street Social chef-proprietor and 2012 Catey Chef Award winner Jason Atherton has revealed more details of his second London restaurant, which will open in Soho next year
The Social Eating House, which will open on Poland Street next March, will be a partnership with his long-standing head chef Paul Hood. Spread over three floors, it will comprise a ground floor restaurant, basement chef's table and top floor standalone bar.
"The ground floor restaurant will have seating for 70 diners and the menu will be our take on what bistro food should be," Atherton told Caterer and Hotelkeeper. He added that the menus at the Social Eating House would be competitively priced. "We're looking at starters from £6-9; mains from £14-19; and desserts around £5," he said.
Meanwhile the basement area will be called Employees, featuring a chef's table comprising a 15-seat wrap-around bar. "We won't be serving tasting menus here and it's totally open to anyone to come and eat without a reservation," Atherton explained.
"It's all about deformalising the perception of what Michelin-starred restaurants should be and anyone can come and have what ever they want, be it one dish and a glass of wine or 20 courses."
The first floor bar, which has the working title of the Blind Pig, will have a separate street entrance and will be headed up by executive barman Gareth Evans. Cocktails will be priced around £8.
Interiors at the Social Eating House will be developed by Russell Sage Studio featuring Victorian furniture and antiques.
Separately, Atherton has recently opened a new restaurant in Hong Kong. Called 22 Ships the restaurant is a joint project with entrepreneur Yenn Wong, founder of JIA Boutique Hotels and Sheung Wan's 208 Duecento Otto.
Located in downtown Hong Kong, below Alvin Leung's Bo Innovation, the restaurant serves a menu of modern tapas. It has 35 seats, with interiors developed by Neri & Hu, who also designed Pollen Street Social.
In addition to Pollen Street Social in London and 22 Ships in Hong Kong, Atherton runs two restaurants in Singapore: L'esquina (meaning "the corner"), a 15-cover "gastro tapas bar" housed in a former Chinese launderette in Chinatown, and Pollen, situated in the Gardens by the Bay South in Singapore's new downtown. He also runs Table No 1 in Shanghai, and consults to Restaurant Associates and Hong Kong Airlines.
Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton to open second London restaurant >>
Cateys 2012: Chef Award - Jason Atherton >>
By Kerstin Kühn
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