The Square (restaurant)

The Square
Company type	Private
Industry	Restaurant
Founded	December 13, 1991; 34 years ago in London, England
Founder	Phil Howard, Nigel Platts-Martin
Defunct	January 31, 2020
Fate	Closed
Headquarters	London, England
Products	Fine dining, modern French cuisine

The Square was a fine dining establishment based in London, launching its operations on 13 December 1991 in the St James's area. The restaurant was co-founded by chef Phil Howard and wine connoisseur Nigel Platts-Martin. It achieved its inaugural Michelin star in 1994 and maintained this distinction without interruption. After moving to Mayfair in February 1997, The Square earned a second Michelin star in 1998 and held onto both stars until 2016—the year when Howard and Platts-Martin transferred ownership to a firm controlled by Marlon Abela. The venue regained a single Michelin star in 2017 but ultimately ceased operations on 31 January 2020, losing its star the following year.

Background

Nigel Platts-Martin, an Oxford-educated lawyer, initially partnered with chef Marco Pierre White—co-owners of Harveys—to develop a second West End dining spot. However, their collaboration ended prematurely, and Harveys’ financial returns were less than anticipated, leaving Platts-Martin dissatisfied.

Chef Phil Howard, who held a degree in microbiology from the University of Kent, transitioned into professional cooking. He began at Harveys as chef de partie in 1989 but was dismissed by White after nine months. Subsequently, Howard gained experience at Bibendum under head chef Simon Hopkinson before White rehired him in 1990 to assist with launching the new restaurant alongside Platts-Martin.

1991–1997: St James's

On 13 December 1991, Phil Howard and Nigel Platts-Martin—both novices in restaurant ownership—opened The Square at 32 King Street, St James's. Howard took the helm as head chef, specializing in modern French cuisine that emphasized refined simplicity. The interior design was notably bold, featuring lavish gold leaf accents and prominent, unconventional artworks.

While initial revenue was modest, The Square achieved profitability within its first year. It secured its first Michelin star in December 1994. The menu was refreshed monthly and included dishes such as seared tuna accompanied by vegetable tartare and warm gamé salad, venison paired with mashed potatoes and caramelized onions, alongside fruit-centric desserts like prune purée pithivier with Armagnac and raspberry sablé.

By 1995, The Square had gained recognition as a premier fine dining venue in London, attracting an affluent clientele through its inventive cuisine and unique atmosphere.

1997–2016: Relocation to Mayfair

On 17 February 1997, The Square relocated to 6-10 Bruton Street, Mayfair, W1J. Ben Rogers from The Independent described the new site as "very ritzy," appealing to a sophisticated international audience, highlighting features such as parquet flooring, diverse wall hues, contemporary art pieces, and an Art Deco column. In 2001, Mark Bittman of The New York Times characterized the food as "simply modern" rather than strictly French cuisine and noted the elegant table settings that included dark crepe velvet skirts paired with crisp linen. The interior underwent renovations during the mid-2000s.

2016: The Square sold to Abela

After the 2008 financial downturn, The Square experienced a drop in its lunchtime trade. The launch of prestigious Mayfair establishments such as Sexy Fish and Park Chinois in 2015 caused a significant rise in premium rents for nearby dining venues, including The Square and Hibiscus. In March 2016, co-owners Philip Howard and Nigel Platts-Martin transferred ownership of The Square to Marlon Abela Restaurant Corporation (MARC) for an undisclosed sum.

Later that same year, Howard partnered with Rebecca Mascarenhas to open Elystan Street at the former location of Tom Aikens's Chelsea restaurant. Elystan Street offers a more straightforward menu compared to The Square and achieved its inaugural Michelin star in October 2017.

Menu (Mayfair) during Howard's leadership

The Square continued its tradition from its St James's days by offering fixed-price menus that changed seasonally. Its wine selection, managed by a dedicated sommelier, included over 400 options, with house wines starting at £18.50.

In May 1997, two-course lunches were priced at £35, with three courses costing £40. Dishes included items such as seared salmon paired with samphire and warm apple fondant accompanied by sorbet. By March 1998, the menu expanded to nine dishes for both two- and three-course meals, featuring starters like roast foie gras with caramelised endive and main courses such as herb-crusted lamb saddle or roasted Bresse pigeon.

By February 2001, amuse-bouches included chilled cucumber soup; starters ranged from scallop-mussel nage to bresaola salad; main dishes featured seared halibut with chive sauce and lamb shoulder served with white beans and confited tomatoes; desserts offered apricot-almond tart and shortbread with strawberries and crème fraîche.

In September 2015, lunch pricing was set at £35 for two courses, £40 for three courses, and £95 for a three-course à la carte meal. The menu prioritized reduced salt and dairy content while presenting dishes like line-caught mackerel tartare with oysterleaf; steamed turbot accompanied by Japanese mushrooms and kombu dashi; Lincolnshire smoked eel velouté infused with curry leaves; Dorset crab lasagne topped with Champagne foam; milk-fed veal tartare paired with burratina; sea bass fillet served alongside barbecued smoked eel; dry-aged rib of beef complemented by girolles; Scottish raspberry soufflé; and Dorset blackcurrants garnished with hibiscus and sour cream.

Philip Howard authored two cookbooks related to the restaurant: The Square: The Cookbook – Savoury (2012) and The Square: The Cookbook – Sweet (2013).

Head chefs

Throughout Phil Howard’s period as chef patron, The Square was led by several head chefs. Rob Weston joined the kitchen team in December 1991 after gaining experience in leading London and Parisian restaurants. He ascended to head chef around 1997 or 1998 before departing in February 2013 to become head chef at La Trompette in Chiswick, a venue owned by Nigel Platts-Martin and Bruce Poole.

Josh Pelham, an Australian chef who had previously served as sous-chef at Howard’s Kitchen W8—which earned a Michelin star in 2011—was promoted to head chef at The Square early in 2013. However, by August of that year he stepped back to senior sous-chef before leaving in March 2014 to work at a restaurant in Melbourne.

Gary Foulkes, who had been sous-chef at The Square from 2005 until 2011, succeeded Pelham as head chef in March 2013 after spending two years travelling internationally. He left the position in March 2016 following the sale of the restaurant to MARC and subsequently took on the role of executive chef at Angler within South Place Hotel, operated by D&D London.

Additional chefs

Several distinguished chefs who later rose to prominence in the culinary field once worked at The Square. Neil Borthwick, who held the position of sous chef, was married to Angela Hartnett. Australian-born Brett Graham joined the team in 2001, advanced to junior sous-chef by 2002, and subsequently departed to become head of The Ledbury, a restaurant co-owned by Phil Howard and Nigel Platts-Martin.

Mark Kempson occupied the sous-chef role until 2009 before taking on the head chef position at Kitchen W8, a venture launched under the joint ownership of Howard and Rebecca Mascarenhas. Bruce Poole was part of The Square’s original St James's team until 1994 and later collaborated with Nigel Platts-Martin to open establishments such as Chez Bruce.

Jun Tanaka also gained experience at The Square prior to his appointment as head chef of QC in 2001, which was rebranded as Pearl in 2004.

Evaluation during Howard's leadership

In June 1996, James Villas of Town & Country commended "Howard's exceptional, distinctly personal style in contemporary British cuisine," resulting in "thoughtful, harmoniously crafted" dishes. Sheila Keating of The Times described his creations in November 1997 as "delicately intricate," contributing to the attainment of the first Michelin star in 1994. Another critique from October 2003 highlighted Howard’s "bold contemporary interpretations" of classical French cooking, citing examples like "seared venison loin paired with a deep-fried quail's egg and a beetroot and apple salad."

The Square secured its second Michelin star in January 1998. From 2007 through 2016, it maintained four AA Rosettes and consistently achieved an eight out of ten rating in the Good Food Guide between 1999 and 2016. The restaurant received the BMW SquareMeal Restaurant of the Year accolade twice, in 2001 and 2007, and was ranked seventh among Britain's finest dining venues at the National Restaurant Awards in 2012.

In October 2003, The Times listed The Square among the top twenty "Haute cuisine restaurants," while in March 2007 it was recognized as one of the top ten "wine-focused restaurants." It placed twelfth in the top 100 British restaurants in 2010 with a score of 9.63, dropped slightly to fifteenth with a score of 9.57 in 2011, and eighteenth in 2012. By 2013, it ranked fifth for desserts and twenty-second overall with a score of 9.57, noted for Howard’s dedication to traditional French flavors and criticism towards overly elaborate modern techniques. Rankings shifted to thirty-fifth (9.54) in 2014 and forty-second (9.52) in 2015, praised for its "exceptionally inventive" culinary style.

Zagat's November 2006 report rated its cuisine at 27/30, ambiance at 22, and service at 26, with an average price point of .

In a 2016 observation, A. A. Gill noted that the clientele mainly comprised business professionals and their associates. Harden's annual surveys consistently ranked The Square among London’s premier venues for business dining: second place (2005), fourth (2006), fifth (2007), second (2014), third (2015 and 2016), and tied for second (2017). Additionally, Harden's positioned it as the fifteenth most frequently mentioned London restaurant and eighth for "gastronomic experience" in 2015, with seventeenth place for mentions in 2017.

Co-owner Nigel Platts-Martin

Nigel Platts-Martin, born in Germany and co-owner of The Square, initially studied law at the University of Oxford before practicing at firms including Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and S. G. Warburg & Co.. He transitioned from law to hospitality by founding the restaurant Harveys in 1987 alongside head chef Marco Pierre White. Under their leadership, Harveys earned its first Michelin star in 1988 followed by a second star in 1990. Platts-Martin partnered with White’s protégé Phil Howard to establish The Square towards the end of 1991.

By either late 1992 or early 1993, Platts-Martin and another investor bought out White’s remaining shares of Harveys before White departed in July 1993. In February 1995, Platts-Martin teamed up with former Square chef Bruce Poole to open Chez Bruce near Wandsworth Common as Harveys’ successor; this venue secured its first Michelin star by 1999. They also introduced The Glasshouse at Kew early in 1999 and La Trompette in Chiswick starting January 2001. The Glasshouse received a Michelin star under head chef Anthony Boyd in 2002. La Trompette has maintained one Michelin star since 2008 under various chefs including ex-Square head chef Rob Weston.

Platts-Martin was honored as Independent Restaurateur of the Year at the 2004 Catey Awards for his establishments’ excellence and innovation and was appointed MBE during the 2009 New Year Honours for his contributions to British hospitality. Recognized as a key figure within UK hospitality by The Caterer, he was ranked seventy-second in 2005, rose to twenty-fourth by 2010, maintaining prominent placements through to 2012. In April 2016, Restaurant magazine placed him eighteenth among the "100 most influential individuals in the restaurant sector." A Harden's survey from 2006 identified his group as one of London's top three for "remarkable consistency," alongside those led by Gordon Ramsay and Caprice Group (then owned by Richard Caring).

Events Following the Ownership Change

During the period when Marlon Abela owned the restaurant, it lost both of its Michelin stars in October 2016. After temporarily shutting its doors for refurbishment in August 2017, The Square managed to reclaim a single Michelin star upon reopening in October of the same year.

In 2019, Marlon Abela Restaurant Corporation (MARC) disclosed financial difficulties, including net losses from 2017 and outstanding debts. On 8 January 2020, MARC was officially wound up following a liquidation petition submitted by HM Revenue and Customs in November 2019. Abruptly, on 31 January 2020, administrators overseeing the property closed The Square and another MARC establishment, Morton's Club, during lunchtime service. Additional MARC properties, such as the Michelin-starred Greenhouse restaurant, were also seized by administrators; Greenhouse ultimately ceased operations in June 2020. After The Square’s closure, it lost its Michelin star in January 2021.

Critical Reception After 2016

In December 2017, Ben McCormack of The Telegraph observed that The Square no longer embodied the distinctive culinary approach associated with chef Phil Howard, whose move to Elystan Street signified the loss of the restaurant’s original character. Nonetheless, McCormack recognized Marlon Abela’s attempts to preserve the "formal fine dining" tradition, a segment that has become increasingly specialized. By February 2018, The Week offered criticism regarding the "stylish" dishes served, describing them as lacking in taste; examples included sirloin steak and roast lamb that appeared refined but delivered underwhelming flavors.

Head Chefs During Abela’s Tenure

Following MARC’s acquisition, Dan Fletcher—formerly sous chef under Phil Howard—was elevated to head chef in March 2016. Later that year, in September 2016, Japanese-born Yu Sugimoto succeeded Fletcher but departed in August 2017 ahead of the restaurant’s renovation, returning to Japan due to family commitments. Clément Leroy was appointed as The Square’s last head chef from November 2017 until its shutdown in January 2020.

References

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