NEW YORK – Francatelli is now open at London’s Althoff St. James´s Hotel & Club, a short stroll from Piccadilly and St. James’s Palace. The restaurant is named in honor of Charles Elmé Francatelli, who was head chef at the St. James’s Club almost two centuries ago, and who went on to became personal chef to Queen Victoria.
William Drabble
The restaurant is helmed by the St. James’s Hotel & Club’s William Drabble, who won his first Michelin star 24 years ago. “Charles Francatelli has been an icon for me for a long time,” says Drabble, “and I am excited to be introducing updated versions of his wonderful, classic dishes; the menu allows us to honor and celebrate the pared-back brilliance of his recipe book, The Modern Cook, published in 1846.”
Francatelli’s à la carte menu, nostalgically titled “Bill of Fare,” features Victorian-era dishes fast-forwarded to the palates of 2024. The mutton in the menu’s Scotch Broth is sourced from a small farm in northern England’s Cumbria. Shepherd’s Pie is conjured from Lune Valley lamb and root vegetables. Fillets of flounder are accompanied by Charles Francatelli’s vision for sauce tartare. Ice creams and sorbets are served in cones modeled on the “Francatelli Gauffres” described in recipe number 1,342 in The Modern Cook.
Drabble has also tinkered with the offerings served at the hotel’s art-filled Seven Park Place Bar & Lounge, adjacent to Francatelli. “With a playful nod to the number ‘7,’ we are introducing seven seasonal punches and seven cocktails inspired by recipes in The Modern Cook,” Drabble continued. In addition to rare wines served by the glass or in flights, the bar’s sharing snack menu offers contemporary versions of such British classics as Devils on Horseback, Sausage Rolls made with Lune Valley pork, and sourdough bread made with Letheringsett Mill flour, sourced from the village in Norfolk where Drabble was raised.
“Our goal is to create a captivating destination catering to both local and international patrons,” says Benedikt Jaschke, Chief Operating Officer of Althoff Hotels. “By focusing on aspirational eating, drinking and socializing, we aim to appeal to a discerning modern audience with a strong British narrative and the culinary expertise of the renowned William Drabble.”
The article London’s Althoff St. James’s Hotel & Club unveils restaurant honoring Queen Victoria’s chef first appeared in TravelDailyNews International.