Kettner’s Townhouse has opened in London’s Soho, reviving a fabled haunt from the city’s gastronomic past…

Kettner’s was one of the first French restaurants in London, opened by Napoleon III’s chef Auguste Kettner in 1867. For nearly 150 years it served continental cuisine to the country’s movers and shakers, from King Edward VII to Winston Churchill, Agatha Christie and Oscar Wilde.

It closed in 2015 and was bought by Soho House Group, which has revived the restaurant as part of its new 33-bedroom Kettner’s Townhouse hotel.

Diners at the new-look London restaurant can tuck into a menu inspired by the history of the building, and its dishes of yore (albeit with a contemporary twist). Interiors riff on the classic French bistro, giving the historic floral plasterwork and heritage mirrors prominence.

The ground floor champagne bar also blurs fin de siècle and Art Deco touches. Its marble-topped bar has a polished walnut front and arched mirrored shelving, and leather bar stools. Original mosaic floor tiles are offset by dark green wood panelling and ‘pleated’ wallpaper, while armchairs and sofa are upholstered in a dark red to set the mood.

Kettner’s infamous private dining rooms (known as cabinets particuliers) are now guest rooms that make use of the Grade II-listed buildings’ Georgian bones. Original floorboards have been given a buff, and walls hung with William Morris wallpaper. Furniture is 1920s in style, with plush scalloped headboards, Art Nouveau chandeliers and vintage vanities.

Rooms at the London hotel – which is open to the public – start from £225 per night.

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