Jun Tanaka's the Ninth to reopen eight months after fire

Jun Tanaka's restaurant the Ninth in London's Fitzrovia is to reopen on 9 March after a kitchen fire forced the venue to close for over seven months.

The Michelin-starred venue was damaged by a blaze on 20 July last year, the day after the UK experienced a record-breaking heatwave with temperatures nearing 40°C.

Investigators later revealed that the fire had been caused by "low temperature ignition" of a timber stud in a wall void adjacent to the kitchen. Nobody was hurt during the fire.

The Ninth, which is now in its eighth year, took the temporary closure as an opportunity to refresh its interiors to bring a contemporary feel to the restaurant.

Classic dishes such as salted beef cheek with sourdough, pickled radishes and dulse; langoustine ravioli with Merinda tomatoes; and pain perdu with tonka bean ice-cream will be joined by new additions, such as tuna belly, Mojama and anchovy vinaigrette.

Besides some new recruits, the kitchen and front of house team have largely remained the same since the restaurant's temporary closure.

The Ninth opened in 2015 and was Le Gavroche-trained Tanaka's first solo venture. It won a Michelin star in the Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland 2016 and the Menu of the Year award at the 2017 Cateys.