HÉLÈNE DARROZE AT THE CONNAUGHT
Designer: Pierre Yovanovitch
Location: London
On offer: A facelift by Paris-based architect Pierre Yovanovitch has introduced a feminine design language into Hélène Darroze’s two-Michelin–starred restaurant at The Connaught. Muted salmon walls, sculptural side tables, and curvaceous mustard chairs fabricated by specialty craftsmen have added a contemporary flourish to the French chef’s dining room. The new menu is driven by a more honed focus on ingredients from U.K. producers: grouse from Wales, crab from Cornwall, Cep from Scotland. Regulars will hardly recognize many of the new design elements, though a butterfly-print panel by Damien Hirst remains a centerpiece element of the restaurant.
Standout features: Two new spaces debuted with the refresh. A chef’s table alcove has replaced a portion of the old kitchen, giving Yovanovitch an opportunity to stretch his imagination. A royal-blue fresco, with cooking illustrations by the artist Rochegaussen, envelops the ceiling above a crescent travertine marble table and grey terrazzo flooring. A tasting room dedicated to the oak-aged brandy Armagnac hits especially close to home for Darroze—the spirits in stock come straight from her oenologist family’s cellars.
