Building and refurbishment specialist Conamar has completed the fit-out of Les 110 de Taillevent in Cavendish Square, helping to bring the two-Michelin starred Parisian restaurant name to London.
Les 110 de Taillevent London is the second opening of the company’s brassiere concept offering 110 wines by the glass, following its Paris launch in 2012. Both are inspired by their sister restaurant, the original, two-Michelin starred Le Taillevent.
The new fine dining restaurant is located in the Grade II-listed former Coutts bank on the north side of Cavendish Square. Its 66-cover dining area includes a 22-cover private room and 7-cover bar located on the building’s ground floor, with kitchen and back of house areas at basement level below. As well as serving the food that has, since 1946, helped establish the Taillevent name, the restaurant offers 110 wines by the glass to complement its 30 seasonally-inspired à la carte dishes.
Also inspired by wine, the Pierre-Yves Rochon-designed interior features green banquette seating to reference vines and oak table tops encircled by metal bands that echo barrels, while the walls show sepia frescos of vineyard landscapes.
Conamar’s role involved working to Bloc Architecture’s specification and removing the operational elements from the bank – including stripping out vaults, taking away safes and creating new doorways in metre-thick walls – while preserving the listed interior that would become an essential part of the restaurant’s new look. Key design features now include the bar and a large screen wall featuring 700 Bordeaux bottles, as well as chandeliers, bespoke joinery and Parisian fixtures and fittings. On the floor below, state-of-the-art kitchens, food storage and wine cellars were installed, along with the complex mechanical and engineering structures needed for their operation, including air extract and supply systems and sound attenuation measures.
Neil Dower, Managing Director of Conamar, said: “This is a beautiful, historic building and a fantastic location for the famous Taillevent name. The challenge for us was to deliver their vision and preserve the original features that are crucial to the restaurant’s ambience, while ensuring the back of house can function effectively as possible in a very tight space with detailed mechanical and engineering requirements. We had to work closely and proactively with the concept and delivery architects to keep everything working well and on track, but the result is worth it. There should be some very happy diners over the coming weeks and months.”
Conamar was appointed following competitive tender. It already works nearby with John Lewis on its Oxford Street flagship and is constructing a new facility for the Energy Institute on New Cavendish Street.
The fit out was completed to a 28 week programme.