Berners Tavern by Chef and restaurateur Jason Atherton
Originally built in 1835 as five luxurious townhouses, the architecture still showing the Georgian hallmarks that characterise London’s finest residences, the buildings were combined to form the Berners Hotel in 1908, at the height of the grandeur of the Edwardian Era. The sumptuous interiors, lavishly decorated with marble and intricate carved ceilings, are superb Grade II-listed examples of Belle Époque extravagance at its very finest.
The location, in the very heart of Fitzrovia, is within walking distance to the most coveted areas in London such as Soho, Covent Garden, Oxford Street and the theatre district. Schrager saw the promise of this area 15 years ago when he did Sanderson Hotel.
Chef and restaurateur Jason Atherton launched Berners Tavern, a gathering place for all day dining and entertaining, breakfast, lunch, dinner, tea and late supper in The London EDITION Hotel, in September 2013. The restaurant is located on Berners Street in Fitzrovia and accessible via a separate entrance, seating 140 covers.
Phil Carmichael, who has cooked with Jason for over ten years, heads up the kitchen, creating a contemporary British menu. In partnership with Marriot International, The London EDITION opening marks Ian Schrager’s return to London for the first time in fifteen years.
“I’m really excited to be working with Ian Schrager and Marriott. The menu is simple yet elegant, using the best of British ingredients and change of seasons” says Jason Atherton
Jason Atherton
British chef Jason Atherton (formerly of Gordon Ramsay Holdings); is a London based Michelin-Starred chef. Atherton was the first British chef to complete a stage at Spain’s famous elBulli restaurant in 1998. This invaluable experience laid the foundation for his unique creative style and fuelled his insatiable thirst for culinary knowledge.
In 2010 Atherton set up Jason Atherton Ltd and launched his first independent restaurant venture, Table No. 1, at the Waterhouse at South Bund hotel in Shanghai. His flagship restaurant, Pollen Street Social, opened in April 2011 in Mayfair. Within six months of opening, Pollen Street Social was awarded a coveted Michelin star by the 2012 Michelin Guide for Great Britain and Ireland.
Atherton now ownsten restaurants in total; located in London, Singapore, Shanghai and Hong Kong. His most recent launches include Little Social (March 2013) a small neighbourhood restaurant that offers a simple Parisian-style menu and Social Eating House (May 2013) in Soho on Poland Street.
In keeping with the design of the hotel, the menu at Berners Tavern is inspired by the traditions of Great Britain and features the very best produce that the British Isles has to offer. Sample dishes include dressed Colchester crab served with brown crab mayo, apple and coriander; roasted rump of Romney Marsh lamb with crispy breast, English peas, broad beans, wild garlic and ham hock; and roasted Goosnargh chicken, bacon, mashed potato, smoked garlic and parsley salsa verde with a coq au vin sauce.
Berners Tavern celebrates traditional and iconic British dishes, such as fish Friday’s with weekly specials, as well as the heralded Sunday roast with fine cuts of Red Ruby beef from the heart of Devon served with all the trimmings.
Inspired by the classic muted colours of Johannes Vermeer paintings and American artist Donald Judd, Berners Tavern has taupe coloured walls, dusty rose chairs, with a subtle play between modern and period design. Tub chairs in the front of the space create a café setting, while banquettes covered in chestnut mohair and taupe leather and round; rift-cut bleached oak tables define the central dining area.
Two large custom bronze chandeliers, inspired by NYC’s Grand Central Station, scale down the original 5.5 meter (18-foot) ceilings to make the space more intimate. The walls are adorned with a series of photographic portraits, landscapes and still life, curated as if a private collection. The pewter topped bar is paired with custom leather upholstered bar stools and sits in front an illuminated, amber-backed display.
Located above Berners Tavern is the private dining room; an exclusive, intimate space which seats up to fourteen. The modern, long dark walnut table with rose upholstered chairs is placed under an original historic skylight with custom lighting, the ideal space for VIP dining.
Set within a grand dining room and offering guests a menu for all-day dining, Berners Tavern at The London EDITION is a destination for local London foodies and international jet setters alike.
