Alsace-born, New York-based chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten created waves in London in the Nineties at Belgravia’s Berkeley hotel with Vong, a restaurant which defined the concept of fusion cuisine in the capital. Now he’s back next door at Maybourne’s new property The Emory, London’s first all-suite hotel where life is very sweet indeed. ABC is JGV’s trio of NYC restaurants – ABC Kitchen, ABCV and ABC Cocina – here joined under the same roof for the first time.
The mood: Manhattan transfer with a British accent
Few recent London restaurant launches have arrived with the effortlessly confident swagger of ABC. Which, of course, took a lot of effort to achieve. French designer Rémi Tessier has channelled Transatlantic glamour; a series of Damien Hirst artworks called ‘The Secret Gardens Paintings’ anchors the space in London with vibrant pops of colour, but the emphasis on luxe comfort in everything from the tactile furnishings to a wine cave fashioned from amber glass, suffusing the room with a warm glow, feel very Uptown, as too the nothing-is-too-much-trouble service.
The food: Thrilling combinations of global flavours and textures
Fusion cuisine may have been consigned to the garbage shoot of history but Vongerichten’s cuisine still thrills with its borderless approach to mix and matching ingredients. Stiff prices are justified by careful sourcing: exceptional quality British seafood from Portland Shellfish, and foraged ingredients from The Wild Room, among others. Early hits include tacos filled with crispy Dover sole, aioli, cabbage and apple slaw – a crunch in every mouthful – guacamole made with spring pea to scoop up with warm tortilla chips, and an arroz con pollo involving rice stirred through with chicken skin, lemon zest and black pepper.
ABC Kitchens is located at The Emory, Old Barrack Yard, London
See our pick of London's newest restaurant openings
-
The new Tudor Ranger watches master perfectly executed simplicityThe Tudor Ranger watches look back to the 1960s for a clean and legible design
-
This late-night hangout brings back 1970s glam to LA’s Sunset BoulevardGalerie On Sunset is primed for strong drinks, shared plates, live music, and long nights
-
How Memphis developed from an informal gathering of restless creatives into one of design's most influential movementsEverything you want to know about Memphis Design, from its history to its leading figures to the pieces to know (and buy)
-
The most anticipated hotel openings of 2026From landmark restorations to remote retreats, these are the hotel debuts shaping the year ahead
-
The most stylish hotel debuts of 2025A Wallpaper* edit of this year’s defining hotel openings. Design-led stays to shape your next escape
-
Neo-Gothic grandeur and decadent martinis await at Hawksmoor St PancrasThe dining room at the St Pancras London hotel has proved to be a revolving door for big-name chefs; now, it's Hawksmoor’s time to shine
-
Form... and flavour? The best design-led restaurant debuts of 2025A Wallpaper* edit of the restaurant interiors that shaped how we ate, gathered and lingered this year
-
At last: a London hotel that’s great for groups and extended staysThe July London Victoria, a new aparthotel concept just steps away from one of the city's busiest rail stations, is perfect for weekends and long-term visits alike
-
French bistro restaurant Maset channels the ease of the Mediterranean in LondonThis Marylebone restaurant is shaped by the coastal flavours, materials and rhythms of southern France
-
Sir Devonshire Square is a new kind of hotel for the City of LondonA Dutch hospitality group makes its London debut with a design-forward hotel offering a lighter, more playful take on the City’s usual formality
-
This sculptural London seafood restaurant was shaped by ‘the emotions of the sea’In Hanover Square, Mazarine pairs a bold, pearlescent interior with modern coastal cuisine led by ‘bistronomy’ pioneer chef Thierry Laborde
