Elystan Street
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Restaurant |
| Founded | 2016-09-27 |
| Founder | Phil Howard, Rebecca Mascarenhas |
| Headquarters | London , United Kingdom |
Key people | Phil Howard (chef patron) |
| Products | Food and beverages |
Elystan Street is a London-based dining establishment co-founded by chef patron Phil Howard alongside Rebecca Mascarenhas. The venue opened its doors on 27 September 2016, approximately six months following Howard’s departure and sale of his former restaurant, The Square. Elystan Street was awarded its inaugural Michelin star in October 2017 and has maintained this distinction since.
Background
Phil Howard served as chef patron at The Square from its inception in December 1991. The restaurant achieved its second Michelin star in 1998, a year after relocating to Mayfair in 1997. In March 2016, after holding two Michelin stars for eighteen years, Howard and his business associate Nigel Platts-Martin sold The Square to Marlon Abela.
Elystan Street is situated on the former premises of chef Tom Aikens’ Michelin-starred eponymous restaurant, which operated from 2003 until January 2014, with a temporary closure for refurbishment between July 2011 and January 2012. Prior to Aikens’s occupancy, the site was home to a pub named Malborough Arms.
History
Elystan Street launched on 27 September 2016 in Chelsea, London, occupying the location previously held by Tom Aikens’s namesake restaurant. Unlike The Square, Elystan Street presents a more relaxed dining atmosphere with a menu featuring at least 25% vegetarian options and simpler preparations, reflecting Howard’s move away from the intricate culinary techniques characteristic of his earlier work. Under Howard’s leadership as chef patron, the restaurant secured its first Michelin star in 2017.
Toby Burrowes, who had previously worked under Howard at The Square, was appointed head chef at Elystan Street from its opening until February 2020. He was followed by Aaron Potter, who had been head chef at La Goccia, an Italian-inspired restaurant located at Petersham Nurseries Covent Garden.
Menus
Since its debut in 2016, Elystan Street has offered menus that change seasonally. Early starters included dishes such as roasted vegetable salad with curry oil and cashew hummus; smoked mackerel velouté accompanied by Porthilly oysters and smoked eel toasts; langoustine ravioli served in shellfish broth; and sweetbreads paired with barbecue dressing, hispi cabbage, and sweetcorn. Main courses featured items like cod fillet with curried cauliflower purée, coriander, and lime; lamb loin with pesto-roasted aubergine, garlic purée, olives, and balsamic vinegar; as well as barbary duck breast. Desserts included options such as lemon tart and a smashed brownie complemented by chocolate foam and hazelnut ice cream.
By April 2018, the menu showcased dishes including langoustine tartare and duck salad with caramelized vegetables. In May 2018, offerings included veal tartare with Caesar cream and white asparagus alongside sea trout fillet served with crushed Jersey Royals and an emulsion of mussels, leeks, and mousserons. In 2019, the sea trout preparation was revised to replace the emulsion with sea beet, citrus elements, and shrimp butter.
September 2020 featured menu highlights such as Cumbrian beef tartare accompanied by artichoke, pickled girolles, mimolette cheese, and a beef tea shot; strozzapreti pasta tossed with smashed courgette, tomatoes, Scottish girolles mushrooms, garlic, and Parmesan; chicken breast served with fricassee of girolles, crayfish, sweet corn, and spinach; Cornish red mullet fillet paired with olive oil creamed potato, piperade, tomato, fennel, and olives; plus a dessert of bitter chocolate and salted caramel tart accompanied by crème fraîche ice cream.
Reception
In October 2016, A. A. Gill observed the menu's straightforwardness—absent of tasting menus or wine pairings—while commending the dishes he sampled. Luxury Travel Intelligence (LTI), in their March 2018 review, drew attention to the elegant décor featuring subdued lighting and concrete tabletops, also noting that cocktails were available despite the lack of a dedicated bar. Ben McCormack from The Telegraph admired the restaurant’s interior design, highlighting elements such as baby blue and pink seating alongside artworks by Henry Moore and Patrick Caulfield, ultimately ranking it among Chelsea’s top dining venues in both 2018 and 2019.
In September 2020, Neal Martin of Vinous praised the beef tartare as "an impressive starter," described the strozzapreti as tasty yet somewhat conventional, and considered the red mullet well-prepared but restrained in flavor. He regarded the dessert as nearly flawless but criticized the chicken breast dish for its overly rich sauce and lackluster accompaniment. Martin also pointed out that amuse-bouches and tasting menus had not been offered since the restaurant's inception. Although he rated the menu lower than The Square during Howard’s tenure, he suggested Elystan Street as a worthwhile option for enthusiasts of Howard willing to pay for the experience.
References
Notes
General
External links
- Marlborough Arms at The Lost Pubs Project