Back to square one: The Square restaurant review

Does the Mayfair favourite still measure up after its recent makeover?

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The Square, founded by chef Phil Howard and restaurateur Nigel Platts-Martin in the early 90s, was one of the great London restaurants, with its two Michelin stars, deceptively straightforward Anglo-French menu and a stunning wine list. This was my favourite haute cuisine restaurant in London, along with Pierre Koffmann’s La Tante Claire in Chelsea. After more than two decades at the top of his game, Phil wanted to simplify his cuisine even more, so moved on to a new venture in Chelsea called Elystan Street, which has just been awarded a Michelin star. The Square was taken over by Marlon Abela, another serious player in the haute cuisine and fine wine world, with his Michelin-starred Greenhouse and Umu, both also in Mayfair.

The Square’s interiors were given a serious makeover and the modernist appearance is now more akin to a hip art gallery than a discreet gathering place for hedge funders and bankers. Clement Leroy, formerly of Three Star Michelin Guy Savoy in Paris and his own place in Chantilly, is now in control and his cuisine is anything but simple or straightforward.

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