Henrietta is the latest restaurant to flourish under star chef Ollie Dabbous. Reyhaan Day finds out why he wanted to take his new opening in a different direction
Iâm sitting across from one of the countryâs most revered young chefs in the brightly-lit room of Henrietta â the restaurant at the Experimental Groupâs Henrietta Hotel. Dried flowers make for wholesome design details, with gold and copper fittings reflecting warm wood and colourful cushions.
Itâs an artfully-designed space, and one that has clearly been carefully considered. It isnât exactly what you would expect from Ollie Dabbous, whose eponymous Michelin-starred restaurant was a masterclass in stripped back dĂŠcor â though not intentionally so. âThe dĂŠcor for Dabbous was based on a lack of budget, so we had to go with what we had, which was concrete and brick,â says the chef, who recently closed the restaurant after five years garnering acclaim from diners and critics alike. âI loved the contrast between the organic, feminine food and the quite brutal surroundings. But I think Henrietta has got a lovely homeliness to it. Itâs got a distinct femininity, which is the complete opposite of the urban look of Dabbous. When youâre away from home and youâre staying here, itâs nice to have that softness.â
The design of Henrietta was spearheaded by DorothĂŠe Meilichzon, who has brought a feminine edge to the hotel, which is the brainchild of Experimental Groupâs RomĂŠe de Goriainoff, Pierre-Charles Cros, Oliver Bon and Xavier Padovani. They saw a connection between Ollieâs cooking and their vision for the hotel. âTheyâre an independent company, so it makes it easier for a collaboration to come to fruition,â says Ollie. âThere are no boardrooms and bureaucracy to wade through.â
During his time at Dabbous, the chef became known for his delicate dishes, all showcasing a deftness of touch and seasonal, sometimes foraged, ingredients. Here, Ollie has created a menu that is accessible throughout the day. âWith this place, itâs a hotel and itâs in Covent Garden. The menu needed to be a little bit more direct and accommodating. Dabbous was probably a bit more destination, so we could be more esoteric,â says the chef.
âHere, there is steak and chips and madeleines on the menu; but itâs all done exceptionally well. Iâm proud to serve these dishes. Itâs nice to be doing something distinctly different to Dabbous, and also to have a more diverse dining room. In some parts of London, you get a very homogenous crowd.â
While the menu at Henrietta is more approachable than the âcooking as artâ offering at Dabbous â Henriettaâs menu features lovingly-topped grilled flatbreads, intricate fish dishes and heartier meat dishes â the dedication to produce is clearly very much paramount, making the move to Henrietta not too large a leap. âThe Experimental guys mentioned the influence of horticulture and flowers. The food we do is quite verdant and fruit and vegetable based; and obviously being close to what was originally a fruit and veg market in Covent Garden, it felt quite serendipitous.â
Itâs serendipitous also that the opening of Henrietta comes between the closure of his first venture, and his upcoming second restaurant, which opens early next year. âA lot of people were surprised when we shut Dabbous; but I think theyâll understand why I did it when the next one opens.â
Dabbous was a smash when it opened in Fitzrovia in 2012. It received a rare five-star review from Evening Standard critic Fay Maschler, alongside a plethora of other industry experts. âI was completely surprised. I brought in my pots and pans from home to save money in the kitchen; so it was surreal rapidly running out of the little funds that we had, to suddenly having that praise; and also the demand that came with that created an exclusivity, because the demand far outweighed the supply we could give in terms of the number of tables or covers,â says Ollie, equally amazed and proud. âWe never anticipated it would be an exclusive restaurant. We were very democratic with our pricing, our uniforms, our playlists â the lack of fuss.â
What does he think it was about Dabbous that resonated with Londonâs food lovers? âBefore we opened, there were places that were either buzzy, cool and fun â but the food would be over-expensive and underwhelming; or it would be very posh and smart, where the food was great but you wouldnât necessarily have a fun night. But thereâs no reason why you canât combine the best bits of both â it felt obvious, not just to me, but also to chefs, front of house and people in the industry of a similar age,â he says. âI think we were the right thing at the right time.â
In 2017 it felt like the right time to close Dabbous. âBecause we set up on a shoestring, we were always a bit under-resourced for the job in hand. I didnât think weâd be as busy as we were. It was always a stretch keeping the quality I wanted with the space, the kitchen and the covers.â Ollie and his team searched for a larger site for a couple of years before taking the decision to close. âBecause we were a new, small, independent company, we would be outbid by other sites. It was frustrating.â Soon, he had secured another site and taken on Henrietta â and decided that for the sake of quality, it was best to scale down. âRather than run around and never fully be satisfied with each, we decided to close Dabbous and move the team across, so it would be manageable to a standard I want.â He says that he doesnât want to spread his focus too thin. âFor me, two or three restaurants are enough. For the level of control that I like, Iâd feel like I would be diluting it otherwise.â
Ollie is relishing running a kitchen with a more relaxed approach to cooking. âI think a change of scenery is really healthy â and itâs nice having a bit of respite. I was absolutely knackered after we shut Dabbous. I feel healthier than I have for about six years!â He is clear that diners should see his work at Dabbous and Henrietta as entirely separate. âHenrietta is not trying to be a derivation of Dabbous, so I hope people donât compare them. I really enjoy that diversity â it doesnât always have to be fine dining. This place has gone really well and Iâm really enjoying it. Itâs a clichĂŠ, but it doesnât feel like work.â
Perhaps that is due to the fact that Ollie lives around the corner from Henrietta â meaning a little more time to explore the areaâs burgeoning cultural scene. âThe areaâs getting better and better â I say that as a local. Petersham Nurseries is opening a place on King Street, and Mariage Frères, which does amazing teas, are there too. Every Sunday Iâll be having coffee and cake at the Boulangerie at Balthazar, and I also really like Rules. A lot more people probably know about it than have been, but Iâd definitely tell any Londoner that hasnât been to go.â
The area has really smartened up. Itâs got a nice vibe. Youâve got a nice mix between places that are more relaxed and some fancier options. Itâs nice to be part of that.â
14-15 Henrietta Street. www.henriettahotel.com