The Man Behind the Curtain

Different look, same, wild styling from the Michelin-starred, glam rock-loving chef. In 2018, chef-patron Michael O’Hare upped sticks from the Flannels department store attic where he made his name with The Man Behind the Curtain and moved into the basement of the same building.

His inaugural restaurant enjoyed a £1.1million bespoke fit-out along the way. Think custom designed kitchen, lavish natural materials and robot toilets. Just as the restaurant’s namesake The Wizard of Oz ordered, the interior fittings conspire to create a disorientating atmosphere.

The tasting menu could include a miniature bun in a nuclear launch button shade of red, filled with XO-sauced veal pancreas or a lava-ish langoustine tartare, glowing with green parsley oil. Emancipation – O’Hare’s Great British Menu winning fish dish – is a beacon of white cod surrounded by black. Black crockery, black dashi, and a summit of black vinegar powder.

Wines are thrilling – yet the question remains: how do you continue subverting expectations when being subversive is your whole schtick? The interior design might take you out of your comfort zone, but O’Hare remains within his, which will continue to please fans and newcomers alike.

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