Hilton Hotel Group has announced that chefs Clare Smyth and Daniel Boulud will be chef partners at the upcoming Admiralty Arch Waldorf Astoria hotel. The duo will head up the hotel’s two signature restaurants, looking after one each when the hotel opens in 2026.
As names go, Smyth and Boulud are two of the most famous and notable in the world. Smyth was previously chef patron of three Michelin-starred Restaurant Gordon Ramsay for 13 years, before opening her own restaurant, Core by Clare Smyth in Notting Hill. She remains the only British woman to be awarded three Michelin stars.
French chef and restaurateur Daniel Boulud is widely celebrated as one of the most influential chefs of his era, with restaurants across North America, as well as in Singapore, The Bahamas, and Dubai. Between flagship restaurant Daniel, and restaurants Le Pavillon, Cafe Boulud and Joji, Boulud has four Michelin stars to his name.
Unless there’s a surprise announcement later this year, Clare Smyth’s upcoming restaurant at the hotel will be only her second restaurant in the UK, sitting alongside Core by Clare Smyth. Smyth has one other restaurant, Oncore in Sydney, which holds three hats from the Australian Good Food & Travel Guide (widely considered to be equivalent to three Michelin stars).
The upcoming hotel will be the first Waldorf Astoria hotel to arrive in the capital. The hotel represents the latest development in Admiralty Arch's storied history, which was built in memory of Queen Victoria in by King Edward VII in 1912, and has since been home to the admiralty as well as army intelligence. The Walforg Astoria Admiralty Arch will convert the building into a 100-key luxury hotel, complete with views out over Trafalgar Square and Nelson's Column.
Waldorf Astoria London Admiralty Arch general manager Guillaume Marly said: ‘With Clare Smyth and Daniel Boulud both confirmed to bring new culinary concepts to the property, Waldorf Astoria London Admiralty Arch is set to be a truly exceptional dining destination in the heart of the British capital. We look forward to unveiling more details about these exciting chef partnerships in the coming months.’
Smyth isn't the only big name three Michelin-starred chef in the news at the moment - former boss Gordon Ramsay is also making moves as he takes over the lease for Le Gavroche, planning to reopen the legendary spot later this year.