Corenucopia: Clare Smyth To Launch Chelsea Bistro
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4 hours ago
The acclaimed chef has two exciting openings on the cards
She’s the chef behind one of London’s most acclaimed restaurants, the three-Michelin-starred Core in Notting Hill, and now Clare Smyth is back with an exciting new opening. Set to launch this November is Corenucopia, a bistro in Chelsea.
Clare Smyth Is Opening A Second London Restaurant
The news was shared in an Instagram post, which reads: ‘Exciting News! We’re thrilled to announce the opening of @corenucopiabyclaresmyth our brand-new luxury bistro in Chelsea, launching November 2025.’ It also included a call out for ‘passionate and talented individuals’ who would be interested in joining the team.
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At this stage the details are pretty sparse, but we do know Corenucopia will launch within the site that previously housed Tabisca on Holbein Place, a steakhouse which closed earlier this year. Earlier this year, Smyth told C&TH: ‘We’re opening a new luxury bistro just off of Sloane Square – a more relaxed space, but still rooted in quality and beautiful ingredients.’
Speaking on Annoushka Ducas’ Life in Charms podcast, Smyth said it will serve ‘more traditional food’, mainly British but with a bit of French influence, and a ‘really good wine list’. She also said the interior will be ‘very comfortable’ with ‘ornate beautiful plates’.
The name is a play on the word cornucopia (adding an ‘e’ to bring in her ‘Core’ brand), which is a symbol of abundance and nourishment (usually a horn-shaped container). ‘We’re going to throw everything at it,’ says Smyth. ‘It’s going to be plentiful… bountiful and luxurious’.
She adds: ‘The beautiful complement of a very creative restaurant, but you also feel like sometimes just having a dover sole grilled, and just a lemon meringue pie or some kind of rice pudding.’
Waldorf Astoria London Admiralty Arch
This isn’t the only new opening Smyth is working on right now. Earlier this year, she was announced as the chef partner for the new Waldorf Astoria London Admiralty Arch hotel, alongside French-American chef Daniel Boulud.
Set to open in 2026, the hotel will take over one of London’s most iconic buildings, with views down the Mall towards Buckingham Palace. There will be two restaurants opening at the hotel, one set within the building’s triple arches, and the other on the rooftop – though we don’t yet know which chef gets which.
Smyth grew up on a farm in County Antrim, and became interested in food from a young age. ‘Life was simple, full of hard work, and it taught me where food truly comes from,’ she told us. ‘We had fresh produce all around us, and my mum cooked everything from scratch – humble meals made with love that shaped how I see food today.’
She made the move to England aged 16, going on to work under Gordon Ramsay for 13 years, including a stint as chef patron of the three-Michelin-starred Restaurant Gordon Ramsay.
In 2017, Smyth launched her own restaurant: Core by Clare Smyth. It quickly gained critical acclaim, securing two Michelin stars in 2018 and a third in 2020, making Smyth the first British woman to have a three-Michelin-starred restaurant. She was also named the World’s Best Chef in the 2018 World’s 50 Best Restaurant awards.
Core showcases Smyth’s ingredient-led, vegetable-first philosophy, with all produce in the restaurant sourced from Britain. Tasting menus change with the seasons, but there are some signature dishes, like the lamb carrot, and the potato and roe.
Alongside Core, Smyth owns a restaurant in Sydney called Oncore. Opened in 2021 (after being delayed due to Covid), it sits on the 26th floor of the Crown Tower, with views of Sydney Harbour. This one was an instant hit too, landing three hats from the Good Food Guide, a rating system used in Australia which is similar to the Michelin Guide.
Smyth also recently featured on With Love, Meghan season two, having previously got to know Meghan Markle after helming the cooking operations for her wedding to Prince Harry. On the show, she demonstrates her signature poached California halibut dish, as well as her go-to green juice recipe.
Corenucopia will open in November 2025
