Quaglino's to close temporarily for major refurbishment

Quaglino's in Mayfair is set to close temporarily in July as the restaurant undergoes a major refurbishment.

The iconic venue, which was revitalised in 1993 by Terence Conran, will sport a new design when it reopens in October this year.

Meanwhile its "eclectic, modern" menu will be overseen by new head chef Mickael Weiss.

Quaglino's was originally launched by Giovanni Quaglino in 1929. It has had a long link with celebrities and high society, and in 1956 the present Queen became the first monarch in living memory to dine in a public restaurant.

Eventually, it ended up in the hands of Trusthouse Forte, but in 1980 the company decided to sell the site for redevelopment. Conran bought a 99-year lease in 1992 and it became one of his first big restaurants in London.

The restaurant is also famed for allegedly having seen some 25,000 of its famous Q-shaped ashtrays, designed by Conran, go missing over the years.

In a statement regarding the planned refurbishment, the restaurant's operator D&D London said: "This major new chapter for Quaglino's will celebrate its iconic heritage and glamour, whilst creating a new venue for future generations of Londoners to enjoy as Quaglino's moves into its own second century."