The Japanese-style restaurant and sake bar is the latest addition to the OWO’s roster of anticipated on-site openings, and will be run by a Michelin-starred chef.
The new eatery, which will be located on the roof of the not-yet-open Old War Office (OWO) hotel on Whitehall, will be helmed by sushi master and Michelin-starred chef Endo Kazutoshi. Kazutoshi runs the popular Endo at the Rotunda restaurant in London, although he originally hails from Yokohama, where two generations of his family were also sushi masters. Kazutoshi spent almost all of his life refining his skills in the art of sushi, studying under a famous master in his home of Japan and specialising in the Edomae style of sushi preparation, which uses certain types of fish including shellfish, eel and tuna. Little has been announced about what will be on offer at the OWO, however the fine-dining space serving Japanese dishes will be on the roof, while a sake bar to match will be located on the ground floor of the hotel. The rooftop, the opening of which is being run by Creative Restaurant Group, will seat 60 people and also feature a Chef’s Table, while the sake bar will be able to seat 28 guests. Visitors will enjoy unique views across down The Mall, St. James’ Park and across to Buckingham Palace.
Aside from Kazutoshi’s opening, there will be a total of nine restaurants and three bars within the OWO, with some already having been announced. The first to be revealed were renowned French restaurant Café Lapérouse, and Italian eatery Paper Moon. However, three dining options are still to be confirmed, all of them run by three-Michelin starred Chef Mauro Colagreco. Despite the exclusivity of the hotel, the ground floor on Whitehall expected to have multiple restaurants, cafes and designer shops which will be open to the public.
Food is but a small part of the OWO’s ultra-luxe amenities on offer. The hotel is where Winston Churchill and Lord Kitchener, among other important historical figures in UK political history, lived and worked during the war years. Their offices have become the elegantly decorated rooms and suites, and an additional 85 private residences including two penthouse suites across the top floors. Raffles hotel group, who bought the Grade II listed building for a reported £350 million, also drafted in beauty brand Guerlain to provide a destination spa experience which will cover four entire floors. The hotel was delayed by more than a year due to Covid-19 but is now expected to open on May 8 to coincide with the equally historic event of King Charles III’s Coronation.
