Morning:
3°c
It is the culinary world's equivalent of a great but ageing actor coming out of retirement for a limited West End run.
But such has been the stampede for tables at Pierre Koffmann's "pop-up" restaurant at Selfridges next month, the department store announced today that it has extended the length of time it will be open.
Many of London's leading chefs have booked to pay homage to the 61-year-old maestro, including Marco Pierre White and Chris Galvin. Angela Hartnett is going three times and designer Anya Hindmarch and Joan Collins also have reservations.
It is the former three-Michelin-starred chef's first return to a London kitchen since La Tante Claire closed in 2002 after a quarter of a century as one of the capital's most celebrated dining rooms.
The Pierre Koffmann Restaurant on the Roof at Selfridges was scheduled to run for the six days of the London Restaurant Festival from 8 to 13 October.
Today the Oxford Street store said it would stay open until the end of the month after being "inundated" by requests for tables. Ewan Venters, Selfridges food and restaurant director, said: "After much negotiation and persuasion we were able to convince Pierre that he ought to extend his stay at Selfridges for one last time so as many people as possible can indulge in his cooking. While we always appreciated Pierre Koffmann was popular, we underestimated the relevance he has had on a generation of foodies."
The Gascon chef, known for his understated style, said his £75 set menu will include crowd pleasing "greatest hits" from La Tante Claire such as pig's trotter stuffed with veal sweetbreads and wild mushrooms as well as new dishes.
There will also be nightly "guest appearances" by Koffmann protégés such as Tom Aikens. They will design a starter, main and pudding to feature among the six on offer. Also cooking will be Tom Kitchin, Eric Chavot, Raphael Duntoye, Helena Puolakka and William Curley. Koffmann said he decided to accept the challenge of cooking for 240 covers a day - 80 at lunch and 160 during two dinner sittings - "because I was free".
He said he expected the experience to be "very intense" for the first few days after six years out of the kitchen.
Koffmann added: "Everything we can find in London we'll buy from London. If there are two things of equal quality from Britain and Europe, we'll buy British. Maybe if we have poultry on the menu it will come from France, but when it comes to fish and the meat, what you have got in Britain is fantastic, better than anywhere in Europe."
Restaurant insiders said the Koffmann pop-up was "the hottest ticket in town" this autumn, possibly the last chance to sample his handiwork. But Koffmann said the food version of the "smell of the greasepaint" had persuaded him to return.
"I would love to come back and open a brasserie. Not to look for Michelin stars but just to cook great food," he said.
