- Arjun Waney, the man behind top London restaurants including Zuma, COYA, and The Arts Club, is opening a new restaurant in Knightsbridge next month. Called Osteria Panzano, it will be Waney’s first Italian restaurant project and will bring the cuisine and hospitality of Tuscany to William Street. The 100-cover restaurant is described by Waney, who is one of the UK’s most successful restaurateurs, as his ‘last legacy’ project, marking a more personal chapter in his career.
- Just Eat has paused the roll out of an AI-powered menu imagery tool after it created a number of confusing and surreal images for some of its restaurant listings. The food delivery platform had been trialling the technology to help smaller independent restaurants add images to menu items without the cost of professional photography. However, the technology fell short in certain instances, creating bizarre images that included fried eggs and sausages floating in a glass of cola - created to represent a ‘breakfast soda’ - a miniature burger served inside a sauce pot, sushi rolls filled with cheese, and wine glasses containing chunks of watermelon. Just Eat has apologised for the images, admitting that the AI technology had teething problems.
- Public House Group has added The Walmer Castle in Notting Hill to its estate, following the pub’s acquisition by BNF Hospitality, the London-based hospitality arm of BNF Capital. Dating back to 1845, The Walmer Castle is located on Ledbury Road and will continue to trade with its existing team, menu and drinks offering. The acquisition takes Public House Group’s pub estate to eight sites and follows the opening of The Horses in Clerkenwell last month. Public House Group’s portfolio also includes The Pelican in Notting Hill, The Bull in Charlbury and The Hart on Chiltern Street.
- Marylebone restaurant Les 110 de Taillevent closed earlier this month. Known for its extensive, French-focused wine selection, the Cavendish Square restaurant offered 110 wines by the glass alongside a list of more than 2,000 bins. Its operating company, Taillevent Operations Limited, formerly known as Taillevent Cavendish Limited, has entered creditors’ voluntary liquidation. Duncan Coutts and Rupen Patel of Coots & Boots were appointed joint liquidators on 9 October.
- Max and Noel Venning will launch a martini, wine and oyster bar close to their original Three Sheets location in London’s Dalston next month. Berryman’s will be more traditional in style than the pair’s existing Three Sheets cocktail bars, offering “simple drinks and snackable foods”. It takes inspiration from coastal bars across Europe, including those in Emilia-Romagna, Barcelona and along the English Channel. The opening drinks menu will feature a rotating selection of martinis alongside a Vesper, a white Cosmopolitan with gooseberry and other seasonal cocktails.