A Series of Closures of Fine Dining Restaurants in London

Even during its golden age, London has never been the easiest landscape for a restaurant to thrive. While in recent years the capital has seen the rise of numerous high-end gastronomic concepts, positioned alongside some of the city`s most fashionable bistros, the current climate is far from favourable. Factors such as Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic, exorbitant rent costs, staffing shortages, intense competition, and the growing presence and influence of the Arab world with differing culinary preferences have all contributed to a complex and suffocating situation in London. Unfortunately, this has resulted in the closure of many notable restaurants, as well as smaller, more relaxed, and highly successful bistros—none of which showed any indication that they would suddenly shut their doors.
 

I began writing this piece in response to the closure of Lyle’s in Shoreditch, a restaurant that, in addition to being a Michelin Guide starholder, frequently appeared on The World’s 50 Best list. While I personally never quite understood the frantic hype surrounding Lyle’s, it was always affordably priced for the experience it offered and, consequently, perpetually busy.

Thus, the announcement that the UK’s “Septime” will close its doors on 18 May took many by surprise. However, from the early months of 2024 to the present, a series of notable closures have unfolded—restaurants that once enjoyed fame and success are now bowing out.

The first of these was Michel Roux Jr., who in January 2024 announced the permanent closure of the iconic Le Gavroche, a restaurant that profoundly influenced London’s gastronomic scene more than few others over its fifty-six-year history. Following this, Jason Atherton (pictured above) closed both Social Eating House and his flagship Pollen Street Social. In the same space, he launched Mary’s, a more casual concept, which has also since closed.

The beloved restaurant of the Royal Family, Launceston Place (pictured above), despite earning a Michelin star and maintaining a loyal clientele with deep pockets, closed its doors last October. Similarly, a month later, the Shoreditch-based Leroy, another fine-dining establishment, also ceased operations permanently.

In early 2025, the end of an era was marked for Studio Fratzen at Harrods, whose success seemed to decline rapidly — although it has now announced plans to relocate later this summer. In the same month, one of London`s most popular fine dining Italian restaurants, the long-standing and Michelin-starred Locanda Locatelli, also announced it would be bidding farewell.

It has been twenty-four years since the inaugural Hakkasan in the UK, but that chapter has now come to a close as well. Not even the most upscale, Café Laperouse, could withstand the changing tides; it closed in under two years.

Among the notable closures, unfortunately, was the acclaimed and award-winning The Five Fields in Chelsea. More recently, despite its two Michelin stars and a prominent name attached, La Dame de Pic at the Four Seasons Tower Bridge has also shut its doors.

I genuinely cannot predict how far this trend will go. Industry insiders are speaking of even more challenging times ahead for London’s fine dining scene, warning that without immediate and decisive action to support the restaurant sector, we may face a painful and ongoing decline in the city’s culinary landscape. More closures of notable establishments are undoubtedly on the horizon.

I sincerely hope the rumours about Dinner by Heston Blumenthal entering its final year are unfounded. Every restaurant closure is more than just a numerical loss; it represents a blow to London’s cultural heritage. The shifting focus towards more transient, casual, and often less distinctive venues—many mimicking the same superficial recipe for success or failure—undermines the city’s once-diverse and memorable gastronomic identity.

And the most troubling aspect? What is happening in London is not an isolated phenomenon; it reflects a wider trend that extends beyond the capital.