Le Colombier restaurant in London’s Chelsea has announced plans to close after 27 “incredible” years of trading.
In a statement, owner Didier Garnier said the restaurant was unable to renew its lease “due to circumstances beyond [its] control”.
He confirmed the French brasserie will permanently close its doors on 31 December.
Garnier added: “This is not how we imagined our journey would end, but unfortunately, our lease is not being renewed, and we are unable to continue in our current location. While this is a bittersweet moment, we want to focus on gratitude for our amazing staff, our loyal customers and the wonderful memories we’ve built over nearly three decades.
“We deeply appreciate the love and support we have received over the years. While this chapter is coming to an end, we hope the spirit of Le Colombier restaurant lives on in the hearts of our customers and the community we’ve been honoured to serve.”
Garnier ran the St Quentin group of restaurants before opening Le Colombier in 1998, which has been serving “quintessentially French” dishes ever since.
Le Colombier was praised by the late food critic A A Gill for being “that secret little restaurant… as close to ideal as you can get”.
Dining and Cooking