There was a time when just about every street corner in England was anchored by a pub. Sadly, not even the advent of gastro-pubs has been able to halt the steady shuttering of this beloved institution. All the more reason to applaud the efforts of outfits like Cubitt House that have taken the DNA of the pub and injected a jolt of adrenaline-charged design by turning dimly lit spaces into lighter, more contemporary watering holes and dining spaces. So successful have been its efforts in tony neighbourhoods like Belgravia, Knightsbridge and Marylebone that a sister company Open House took up the baton this past April with Percy & Founders. Set within the new Fitzroy Place development in Fitzrovia, the all-day diner is a nostalgic mix of bespoke joinery, burnished brass and wood panelling anchored by a 16-piece Hockney original, the 1960 ‘A Rake’s Progress’. Past the open kitchen and down a terrazzo tiled staircase is Percy’s Den, a recently opened private dining room whose décor reminds one of the Mad Hatter’s bolt-hole. Here, one-off surrealistic wallpaper collage prints by the Chicago-based artist Michael Waraksa, and black and white tessellated ceiling panels are light-hearted but unobtrusive visual accompaniments to executive chef Diego Cardoso’s menu of Goosnargh duck breast, rabbit terrine, and peanut butter parfait.
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