Yannick Alléno opens Pavyllon London at Four Seasons Park Lane

In the end, Yannick Alléno managed to plant his flag in the English capital. He will do so in the summer of 2023, with the complicity of one of the big names in the international hotel industry, Four Seasons which has 127 hotels and resorts and 51 private residences in 47 countries (but the collection is constantly growing), and many great chefs in over 600 restaurants. In Italy, just to give an example, there is Paolo Lavezzini who, after working well at the Four Seasons of Sau Paulo with Neto, landed in Florence where he took over from Vito Mollica (now involved in the Chic Nonna project), while in the British capital, in the hotel at Ten Trinity Square there is the headquarters of La Dame De Pic by Anne-Sophie Pic.

To reinforce the French structure of the hotel group, therefore, Alléno arrives in Park Lane, thus crossing (again) the threshold of 15 restaurants by declining his best-known venue in an Anglo-Saxon guise, which for the occasion is Pavyllon London, to underline the close proximity of the restaurant to the original French, casual jewel (so to speak) of one of the most incredible restaurant projects, the one that goes under the umbrella of Pavyllon Ledoyen: three restaurants and six Michelin Stars, three for Alléno Paris (but Alléno Le 1947 à Cheval Blanc in Courchevel also has Three Stars), two for L'Abysse and one for the Pavyllon. And it is from here that what (we are sure) will start the takeover of Alléno in London where - declares the chef who says he is enthusiastic about the collaboration with the group - has wanted to open for some time. And how can you blame him? French cuisine has always been loved in the City, just think of the many great chefs who are based here, including Pierre Gagnaire, Alain Ducasse, Hèléne Darroze, among others.

Pavyllon London: the informal luxury of Yannick Alléno

Refined, yes, but casual, welcoming, versatile, with various proposals suitable for different occasions and outings: Pavyllon London wants to decline the idea of informal luxury, capable of representing - says Alléno - "the contemporary and dynamic lifestyle of the city" becoming a destination for residents and tourists according to the chef's idea: "restaurants are the backbone of the city's social scene." The arrival of the French chef in the structure goes in the direction of "creating exceptional experiences for all those who visit our historic property" explains Lynn Brutman, Regional Vice President and General Manager of Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane. After all, FS tries to create, in every location, innovative and high-level concepts also thanks to "the inspiration of creative chefs who," says Kimberly Grant, Global Head of Restaurants and Bars, Four Seasons "share our passion for excellence in the kitchen and a high level of service." Now the bar rises again, among great wines, prestigious labels and a wide selection of wines by the glass, perhaps to be enjoyed at the counter, a place that allows a close-up encounter with Alléno's great cuisine.

What to eat at Pavyllon London by Yannick Alléno

Not just a complete move of the chef's most famous dishes, but their declination in an English version, keeping the French root very clear (while not hiding a passion for Italian cuisine) and even more the imprint of Alléno, his ability to redefine the canons of classic French cuisine, starting with the recoding of sauces, what Alléno calls "the verbs of cuisine," which give meaning and strength to the dishes. A gastronomic neoclassicism of extraordinary modernity and creativity, which looks at lightness and wholesomeness as an unquestionable imperative, eliminating fats, salt and sugars without limiting flavour but conquering through the punctual use of fermentation, cryopreservation, extraction, a technique that is very widespread today, but studied by Alléno about 10 years ago. Examples are the vegetable ravioli with spring-flavoured broth accompanied by aromatic oils; or the sea bass aiguillette with celery extraction sauce; or the Alléno version of a classic of French tradition such as the cheese soufflé, steamed with Comté and an extraction of celery. Whether or not they are present in London is not yet known, what is certain is that the offer will be diversified to meet different needs, from convivial family lunches to dinners with friends.