Chez Rose opened quietly on Pollen Street in early June 2026, and London noticed immediately. This is the first restaurant from chef Spencer Metzger, and it arrives with a crystal-clear vision that is instantly apparent.
The name is personal. Chez Rose is an homage to Spencer’s late grandmother, Rosemary, whose warmth and love of food shaped his path into cooking. It gives the restaurant something that can’t be designed or PR’ed into existence: genuine feeling. The project was built in partnership with Jason Atherton and Irha Atherton, a collaboration that brings serious backing to what is, at its heart, a deeply personal concept.
Jason has described it as a passing of the baton to recently crowned two-star Michelin chef Spencer. Jason and Irha have always made hospitality feel like a family affair: ambitious, exacting and with feeling. Behind the restaurants is a shared belief that great service starts with care for each other, for their teams and for the guests who become part of their wider table.
The Setting
Pollen Street suits it entirely. Tucked just off Regent Street, it has always had a quiet confidence to it, making Chez Rose a natural fit. The room is warm and a proper bistro: good lighting, a sense of ease, the kind of space where the food is the point and everything else is in service of that. The outside tables are a must, and a great place to while away an afternoon under the brilliant eye of general manager Florin Andrei. Florin has a natural flair and takes care of the restaurant with great passion and precision.
Spencer Metzger & Mark Catchpole
Spencer’s cooking is seasonal, French in spirit, and disciplined in the best sense. There are no unnecessary flourishes; every dish is there because it earns its place. In the kitchen alongside him is head chef Mark Catchpole, whose career reads like a tour of some of the world’s most respected restaurants. Born in Suffolk, he spent formative years at Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck and Dinner before heading to Melbourne and Attica under Ben Shewry, where his commitment to creativity and sustainability deepened considerably.
Images courtesy of Luxuriate Life Magazine
The Food
I mean, this is why we are here, right? Start with the snacks, and start properly. The comté gougères are warm and well-made, the pâté en croûte is rich and served with a grainy Dijon and cornichon, and the Devon crab pain perdu is the kind of thing you order again before you’ve finished the first. There is also a foie gras brioche on the specials list, which is silky, generous, and worth going specifically for. Imagine brioche enveloped in silky-smooth foie gras, with a jelly laced with Sauternes.
The steak tartare with pomme gaufrette has quickly become a signature: seasoned cleanly, served with lattice crisps, exactly what it should be. Look out for the Orkney scallop, with a Café de Paris butter rivalling the secret sauce at Relais de Venise. Among the mains, the steak au poivre is the defining dish, with a proper peppercorn sauce, beef cooked with assurance, and no shortcuts. The grilled native lobster tail with sauce à la nage is also a huge hit, with the most moreish sauce. Sauce is so important in French cooking. At Chez Rose, the sauces really are magical.
And then the soufflé. The talk of the town. We arrived for dinner, and this soufflé is a real head-turner. They were flying out of the kitchen, and this dish can be described as a pure delight. The 70% chocolate soufflé is available for pre-order when you arrive, and you should absolutely pre-order it. It arrives at the table at full height, served with a chocolate sauce, and it has been the talk of Mayfair since the restaurant opened. Rightly so. The crêpe Suzette runs it close for sheer pleasure.
Be sure not to rush out. You will be offered some milk chocolate cookies at the end of the meal, which are a family recipe and are worth saving space for.
Drinks & Wine
The cocktail list is short and well-chosen. The Madame Roth (gin, St-Germain, champagne) is a good way in; the Champs-Élysées (cognac, Green Chartreuse, lemon) is for those who want something with more weight. Our favourite cocktail was a Normandy Old Fashioned with Calvados, hazelnut, and bitters. On the sparkling wine front, the Rathfinny Classic Cuvée from Sussex is an excellent English option alongside the expected Perrier-Jouët.
The wine list has been put together with the same considered approach as the food: enough depth to be interesting, no excess, and enough by the glass to make a solo lunch feel looked after. The dessert wine pairings are worth exploring alongside the puddings.
The Verdict
Chez Rose is a restaurant that knows exactly what it is. A modern French bistro in Mayfair, built on seasonal British produce, proper technique and a personal story that gives it real warmth. The soufflé may be what people talk about, but the whole experience is worth your attention.
To discover more, visit Chez Rose
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All imagery courtesy of Chez Rose London.