There are few London restaurants with such rich history as Quaglino’s. Since Giovanni Quaglino opened its doors in Bury Street, the institution located in the heart of St. James’s has always been a place to dine, drink, and above all, to be seen. Almost a century later, the restaurant is now preparing their relaunch to enter a new chapter with The Evolv Collection restoring the legendary dining room and introducing a new take on food, drink, and entertainment.
Scheduled for October 6th 2026, the relaunch will present Quaglino’s restoration through its famous staircase and Art Deco character, alongside new commissioned art, three new bars, a repositioned stage and a reimagined day-to-night experience. Quaglino’s once again promises glamour, spectacle, food, and a reinvention of an ordinary dinner.
A Restaurant with History
Quaglino’s over decades has accumulated history that most restaurants struggle to manufacture. Giovanni Quaglino opened his own restaurant in 1929 after years of hospitality at the Hotel Martinez in Cannes and the Savoy. By the time its Art Deco glamour, mirrored walls, and grand staircase had been installed, Quaglino’s quickly became synonymous with elegance and luxury.
The philosophy of the “democratisation of dining” was later established by Sir Terence Conran, who rescued the restaurant from obscurity in 1993 and transformed it into the vast, glamorous experience known today. The message was simple: serious food and genuine elegance should not belong exclusively to a select few.
Undoubtedly, those who have dined there have added to the place’s unique reputation. British royalty and renowned public figures, including the Mountbattens and Judy Garland are among the names who have savoured Quaglino’s specialties. Famously, Queen Elizabeth II became the first reigning monarch to dine in a public restaurant after visiting the venue in 1956.
The purpose of this new phase is to honour the restaurant’s incredible past while creating an enjoyable and memorable atmosphere for its public.
The Refurbishment
The new take on Quaglino’s is one to admire. While maintaining the room’s Art Deco architecture and famous staircase, the restaurant will introduce a new day-to-night format. The intention here isn’t to make guests feel as though they have stepped into 1929, but to preserve the restaurant’s personality while allowing functionality as a prominent London destination.
Other than its foundations being completely restored, three new drinking and dining destinations will join the existing Q bar. This includes a Champagne bar, Fruits de Mer seafood counter, and a Cannes-inspired dessert bar, for a well-rounded experience of European cuisine. A new menu will trace the founder’s journey from Piedmont to Cannes and the Savoy, combining Italian delicacies, French technique, and the British dining traditions.
In the evening, a new stage and raised booths will bring cabaret and live music closer to its patrons, while daytime dining will introduce accessible “Ten Pound Plates” as an extension of the traditional nightly glamour.
These incredible transformations are set to be introduced gradually through a series of Preview Sessions, running from 14 September to 5 October. This is an opportunity to get an early glimpse of the restored main room and the return of live music, giving guests the chance to experience Quaglino’s new rhythm before its doors officially open. By day, a lighter and more relaxed atmosphere welcomes diners before shifting towards cocktails, theater, and the music that have long been part of its identity.
On the Plate
Quaglino’s tells its authentic history both visually and through what it serves. The kitchen is led by Senior Brand Chef Daniel Scott, whose approach centres on seasonality and ingredient-led cooking, with its produce directly sourced from farmers, producers and fishermen. In collaboration with Group Culinary Consultant Miller Prada, formerly of Michelin-starred Humo, the new menu seeks to bring elegance and sophistication to the table.
The first confirmed dishes include Vitello Tonato Skewers, Pissaladière, Turbot Mountbatten and Lamb Cutlet Milanese, with the Mountbatten-inspired dish offering a direct touch to the restaurant’s distinguished past. Rather than attempting to make every dish look and feel modern, the menu takes a turn towards Italian classics, southern French, and British traditional cuisine relying on fresh ingredients and a clever context. The new Fruits de Mer counter will extend this journey beyond the main dining room, serving fresh molluscs and crustacea as well as modern ceviche and tiradito small plates. For more relaxed ways to experience the restaurant, the counter brings versatility and variety, especially when paired with one of the many Champagne selections at the bar.
The most theatrical proposition is finally shown through the Dessert bar, a creative take inspired by a Cannes tabac. Creations include smoke-filled edible helium balloons, cannoli cigars, and chocolate ashtrays designed to make Quaglino’s a truly memorable adventure.
The full menu is yet to be revealed, leaving room for many compelling possibilities. Given the Piedmont connection, the region’s rich pasta and truffle traditions are natural to appear somewhere on the brand new menu, complemented with the French Riviera’s influence to lighter dishes around citrus, herbs and seafood.
From Champagne to Cocktails
The drink selection deserves just as much attention as the food. The existing Q bar will introduce a multicultural selection of cocktails representing Quaglino’s journey. These include reimagined Savoy classics as well as three new drinking and dining destinations for a traditional yet contemporary experience.
Real change, however, comes through the new bar addition at Quaglino’s. The new Champagne bar will provide 24 available options by glass and bottle, making it a destination of its own as an entry point for a spontaneous London evening. Alongside Fruits de Mer and the Dessert bar, the drinks offering makes the restaurant feel in constant movement: endless champagne variety, cocktails at Q and plenty of seafood in between.
Restoration Meets Contemporary Spectacle
Once the venue reopens its doors on 6 October 2026 at 16 Bury Street, it will arrive with nearly a century of expectations attached to its name. Not competing with its own past, it is reimagining the parts that still matter: the architecture, glamour, good food, and giving them new reasons to persist.
The result may be something rare in London, a historic restaurant that doesn’t ask for admiration of its history, but instead the appreciation of its future. Walk in, order Champagne, eat an excellent meal, and truly enjoy an evening at Quaglino’s.
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All images courtesy of Quaglino’s.