Balthazar Covent Garden?

TThis kitchen belongs to the restauranteur Keith McNally, the Bethnal Green-born mind behind Manhatten's Balthazar, Odeon, Cafe Luxembourg, Lucky Strike, Pravda, Balthazar, Pastis, Schiller's, Minetta Tavern and Polinos.

It appears he may be soon helping to open a branch similar to Balthazar in London's Covent Garden. It came a step closer a couple of weeks ago when Caprice Holdings' Richard Caring, who is a business partner of McNally's in New York and the owner of the Ivy, Scott's and J Sheekey, was granted the licence by Westminster Council to open a superbistro in the ground floor of the building on the corner of Wellington Street and Russell Street, formerly the Theatre Museum which has been empty for 20 out of the past 37 years. The licence was granted to the chagrin of Chris Corbin and Jeremy King who own the Wolseley on Piccadilly and had been trying for over two years to develop the site.

The new superbistro is likey to open in the first half of 2012 but there is no official word as to whether Mr McNally will be running the restaurant. We shall see, so until then we'll have to dream about this kitchen and what delights are being cooked up by its owner.