Following its collaboration at Cowley Manor, a countryside hotel in the heart of the Cotswolds, global hospitality brand Experimental Group has once again teamed up with British chef Jackson Boxer and French designer Dorothée Meilichzon to bring Henri to life, a Parisian-inspired restaurant on the ground floor of Hotel Henrietta in London’s Covent Garden.
Henri Restaurant
Briefed to blend elements of both traditional British pubs and Parisian brasseries, also reflected in Boxer’s menu, Meilichzon used textures to add depth, with bright velvet banquettes, wooden panelling, classic Art Nouveau Thonet chairs and frosted windows. At first glance, Henri might seem traditional – think floor-long table skirtings and melting bistro candles – yet it’s in touches such as the linen tapestries gracing the ceilings or the wall’s distracting artworks that keep the space ‘contemporary and fun’, as described by Meilichzon herself.
Meilichzon adds: ‘We wanted to create a cohesive dining room that is both intimate and glamorous, where the space is bookended with the open kitchen and bar.’ The result is a restaurant that is transportative but in touch with its surroundings. A palette of dark green hues, light blues and deep Bordeaux reds are revealed through Botanical shapes woven throughout the restaurant that nod to the humble beginnings of Covent Garden as a fruit and vegetable market.
Staying true to a traditional bistro layout, tables at Henri are so close together that you might be influenced by what the guests at the next table are ordering. Boxer, known for London restaurants such as Brunswick House, Orasay and Jackson Boxer at the Corner, has designed an expansive all-day menu that promises ‘something for every mood.’ French-inspired dishes feature the likes of a mighty Swaledale bavette, cooked with XO Cognac and wild peppercorns. While for the more adventurous, the grilled snails with green garlic and veal rice make a great starter.
The sun-drenched outside terrace will transport you back to the hustle and bustle of central London – in other words, the perfect post-dinner spot to taste the creative list of cocktails, each named after a French icon. After all, what could go wrong with a regal Marie Antoinette whisky-infused concoction?
Book in at one of London's hottest new restaurants.
Henri is located at 14, 15 Henrietta St, London WC2E 8QH, henricoventgarden.com
-
The newest car brand to arrive from China, Omoda is aimed squarely at the luxury sectorThe Omoda 9 brings Chery’s Super Hybrid System to Europe’s roads, a smart but affordable luxury SUV with a long-legged range and a very high specification
-
Head to Puerto Escondido, a hot spot of eco-friendly hotels for the architecturally adventurousAs a bucolic cluster of beach towns evolves on Mexico’s Oaxacan coast, there’s hope that Puerto Escondido can prove a guiding light in responsible tourism; Eric Millman went to find out more
-
COS and Studio Ashby champion women artists with a colourful interiors takeoverFashion label COS unites with the London-based interior design studio to curate an eclectic series of works which champion women artists in its stores in London, Paris and Helsinki
-
Twin Peaks’ Double R Diner is coming to London (for a day)Mubi marks Twin Peaks’ 35th anniversary with pop-up diner and streaming release
-
Ukrainian restaurant Sino adds to London's diverse food culture with warming traditions that feel familiar yet newPronounced see-no, the new Ukrainian restaurant in Notting Hill, by Polina Sychova and chef Eugene Korolev, is built on the intimate relationship between people and nature – offering beauty in simplicity
-
Art, pasta and maritozzi: this is Locatelli at the National GalleryChef Giorgio Locatelli is the National Gallery’s new Italian master with the latest chapter of his beloved London restaurant
-
A local’s guide to London – Climax Books founder Isabella Burley’s favourite hauntsCreative consultant Isabella Burley credits growing up in the English capital with shaping who she is today. She takes us on a tour of some significant spots
-
This new London restaurant is a Greek island idyll on a plateMyrtos by Asimakis is a flavoursome ode to Kefalonia, conceptualised by Vernon Viljoen and Block1:Design
-
Late-night spring shopping comes to London’s Chiltern StreetOn Thursday 22 May, those in London can enjoy the Chiltern Street Spring Shopping Evening, including a programme of in-store drinks, offers and workshops
-
Fin-to-gill sophistication awaits at Tom Brown at The CapitalExpect ambitious cooking from the country’s most creative seafood chef
-
A first look inside Josephine Marylebone, a bistro-licious French restaurantFollowing the success of Claude and Lucy Bosi’s first restaurant, in Chelsea, Josephine Marylebone is the second outpost, fitted with an oyster bar and a focus on classic French cuisine
