Chez Nico
Nico Ladenis | |
|---|---|
| Born | 22 April 1934 Tanganyika (present-day Tanzania) |
| Died | 10 September 2023 (aged 89) |
| Occupation(s) | Chef, author |
| Known for | First UK chef awarded three Michelin stars; founder of Chez Nico |
Nico Ladenis (22 April 1934 – 10 September 2023) was a pioneering British chef who, without formal culinary training, became the first in the UK to be awarded three Michelin Stars.
Following his graduation with a degree in Economics from Hull University, he worked at The Sunday Times, where he met his wife, Dinah-Jane. Together they had two daughters, Natasha Robinson (born 1964) and Isabella Wallace (born 1966), as well as a granddaughter, Lily-Rose Wallace (born 1999).
Renowned for his intense temperament and the belief that "the customer is not always right," Ladenis left a significant mark on British gastronomy, shaping a generation of chefs who went on to achieve Michelin recognition and successful restaurant careers.
His family-operated establishment, Chez Nico, was one of the most acclaimed dining venues in the UK, boasting 3 Michelin Stars, a flawless ten rating in the Good Food Guide, and five AA Rosettes.
Ladenis also penned two partly autobiographical works, My Gastronomy and Nico, promoting principles such as "Precision, Restraint, Simplicity" alongside "Consistency, Consistency, Consistency."
In 1999, due to a prostate cancer diagnosis and dissatisfaction with London's culinary environment, he voluntarily returned his Michelin stars. He retired to the South of France in 2000 before relocating back to England in 2011.
Early life
Born on 22 April 1934 in Tanganyika (present-day Tanzania) to Greek parents, Ladenis received his education at Prince of Wales School in Kenya and later at Hull University.
Career
A self-taught culinary talent who never attended formal cooking school, Ladenis crossed paths with chef Michel Roux while running his restaurant Chez Nico in Dulwich, London during 1976 or 1977. Roux facilitated a one-week placement for him at the three-star Michelin star restaurant Moulin de Mougins under chef Roger Vergé.
In 1989, he launched Simply Nico, a bistro-style eatery located in Pimlico, London. By 1992, he became the first chef whose name graced a restaurant within a five-star hotel—the Grosvenor House Hotel in Mayfair—while converting his previous two Michelin star venue on Great Portland Street into the more casual Nico Central bistro. Chez Nico at 90 Park Lane earned three Michelin stars in 1995.
In 1999, Ladenis asked Michelin to remove his restaurant from their guide and relinquished all three stars. He explained that maintaining a three-star establishment imposed constraints and higher costs on patrons and that he sought a more informal dining experience. This decision was motivated by frustration with London's dining scene and his recent diagnosis with prostate cancer.
Subsequently, he opened Incognico on Shaftesbury Avenue in 2000 and Deca on Conduit Street in 2002. Ladenis retired from active restaurant management in 2003; however, his daughters continued their involvement in the family business.
Personal life and legacy
Married to Dinah-Jane Ladenis, he was father to Isabella and Natasha.
Under his leadership, Chez Nico was one of only seven UK restaurants to achieve a perfect ten out of ten score from the Good Food Guide as of 2013. Additionally, he holds the distinction of being the first self-taught chef awarded three Michelin stars.
Nico Ladenis passed away on 10 September 2023 at the age of 89.
Published works
- My Gastronomy (1987), co-written with Alan Crompton-Batt
- Nico (1996), co-written with Martin Brigdale