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Pied à Terre headed for closure
Pied à Terre, London’s longest-standing Michelin-starred restaurant, could be due to close in 2029, according to founder and owner David Moore.
The Michelin Guide says of Pied à Terre: “Over the last quarter of a century, few parts of London have seen more restaurants come and go than Charlotte Street, but one constant over that period has been David Moore’s Pied à Terre.”
The guide also notes that “reinventions” at the restaurant, including the introduction of vegan menus and redecorating the interior, have kept things fresh since it opened in 1991.
However, as things stand, this icon of the British capital’s dining scene could be set to shut in five years’ time, just two years shy of its 40th anniversary.
“The lease ends in 2029 and I’d like to announce now that we are closing in 2029,” Moore told The Times.
However, Moore does say that there is a possibility that the closure might be averted.
“Ideally I’d like to have a staff buyout before then,” he continued. “The new chef [Phil Kearsey, who joined as executive chef in May 2024] is mature enough to see the opportunity through for five years. If my wife and I were able to sell a majority stake, they would have their own business and we would have an exit, which might see us continue working in the business for a number of years. I think if we sell more than 51 per cent, there are some tax incentives as well.”
“Hopefully the idea of a buyout will invigorate the team. It’s my preferred exit — unless I get an irrational, well-moneyed buyer coming in,” Moore joked.
He then suggested that, at 60, he was “too young” to retire, and was not ruling out the possibility of another restaurant: “I do think I should do another Pied à Terre, maybe one in New York.”
It follows the high profile closure of Le Gavroche early this year, with chef-patron Michel Roux Jr. announcing last summer that the two-Michelin-starred restaurant would shut its doors when its lease was up.
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