Atherton to open new London restaurant

Jason Atherton has confirmed details of his new restaurant, his first since he left The Maze in May of this year.

Pollen Street Social is located in Pollen Street, near Hanover Square in London, and is due to open in January 2011.

Atherton has worked closely with designers, Neri and Hu to create a feeling of “low-key luxury” with an energetic New York atmosphere.

The main restaurant will seat 60 customers and there will be space for another 45 guests in an adjacent bar area that will remain open all day and serve a tapas style menu.

Pollen Street Social will also house the capital’s first dessert bar. Diners will be able to move to the dessert bar after the main meal where the pastry chef will prepare puddings in front of them.

Customers will then have the choice of sampling several different puddings or having one all to themselves.

The main menu is divided into four sections: hot, cold, meat and fish and aims to provide food with, “one foot in the past and the other in the future,” said Atherton.

There will be a daily meat and fish option, which will be prepared on a Josper grill (a charcoal fired oven that originated in Spain).

A three-course menu priced at £26 will be available at lunch and dinner menus include a five-course taster and special vegetarian options.

“I have been dreaming about opening my own restaurant for nearly 20 years and am thrilled to have found this great site in the heart of Mayfair, a place that I love being part of,” said Atherton.

“Pollen Street Social is my chance to create exactly the sort of restaurant I would love to eat, drink and socialize at. Not just somewhere for special occasions, but a place for people to come for all sorts of reasons and can’t wait to return to.”

Pollen Street Social
8-13 Pollen Street
London
W1S 1NQ

Rupert Millar, 31.08.2010