Corrigan's Mayfair Wins London Over

In 2008 Richard Corrigan made a big decision. He closed Lindsay House, his starred Soho restaurant, and opened a new place on Upper Grosvenor Street: Corrigan's Mayfair^[1].

It was a risk. Lindsay House had a star and a loyal crowd. The new restaurant was larger, grander and carried his own name over the door.

An Instant Hit

London liked it at once. The Evening Standard named Corrigan's Mayfair its Restaurant of the Year^[1][2]. Within three months it also had three AA rosettes^[2].

More awards came. The AA named it Restaurant of the Year in 2009^[2]. The National Restaurant Awards listed it as one of the highest new entries of its year^[1].

A Book For The Table

The same year brought a book. The Clatter of Forks and Spoons, published in 2008, mixes his memories with his recipes^[3]. The title sounds like a busy dining room, which is exactly the world he writes about.

Corrigan's Mayfair kept growing up with the family. When it was nine years old, his son Richie took over as general manager, and Ross Bryans became head chef^[3]. In 2017 the restaurant added Dickie's Bar, created with New York mixologist Gregory Buda^[2].

In 2018 the restaurant marked its tenth birthday^[2]. By then it had become the grand dining room of the Corrigan Collection, sitting beside Bentley's as one of its two London anchors^[1].

For Corrigan, it was also a sign of trust. Opening a large restaurant under your own name, in one of the most expensive streets in the world, is a statement. Within a year, the critics and the AA inspectors had answered it^[2].

The room itself told guests what to expect. This was Mayfair, with all its polish. Yet the plates still spoke of the countryside: game, fish and vegetables, treated simply. The awards showed that London's critics liked that mix of grand setting and honest cooking^[1][2].

The lesson of 2008 was simple. Corrigan did not need to hold on to the past to succeed. He closed a famous room, opened a new one and won the city over again^[1][2].