The Wolseley

The Wolseley is a restaurant located at 160 Piccadilly in London, England, next to the Ritz Hotel. Designed by the architect William Curtis Green, the Grade II* listed building was erected by Wolseley Motors in 1921 as their regional offices with a ground floor showroom. The ground floor was occupied by a branch of Barclays Bank between 1927 and 1999.[3] It was a Chinese restaurant for a couple of years then reopened in 2003 as an upscale European restaurant after renovation by British restaurateurs Chris Corbin and Jeremy King.

The Wolseley
The renovated Wolseley building in 2014
Restaurant information
Established2003 (2003)
Owner(s)Corbin & King (majority owned by Minor Hotels)[1][2]
Food typeEuropean/café
Street address160 Piccadilly
London, England
Other informationNearest station:
Green Park
Websitethewolseley.com

History
Interior view of the restaurant in 2014, showing the bar and chandelier

Wolseley Motors showroom

The six-storey building was commissioned by Wolseley Motors, a part of the Vickers engineering combine, which bought the site in 1919 for a car showroom and London sales offices. It was designed by the English architect William Curtis Green, drawing inspiration from a recently constructed bank building that he had seen in Boston, Massachusetts. The building, which opened in November 1921,[4] features Venetian and Florentine-inspired detailing, with an interior decorated with lavish marble pillars and archways. Wolseley Motors lost its long-term leadership of the British car industry in the early 1920s and fell into receivership in 1926; the Wolseley showroom was sold in June 1926.[5]

Barclays Bank branch

The premises were acquired by Barclays Bank, and re-opened in April 1927 as 160 Piccadilly Branch. Barclays re-employed William Curtis Green to create offices and a banking counter, and design furniture in Japanese lacquer. Barclays sold it in 1999 and opened in new smaller offices in nearby St James's Street.[6]

Restaurant

After the closure of the Barclays branch in 1999, the premises were refurbished and initially turned into a Chinese restaurant ("The Orient at China House")[7] until the building was purchased in July 2003 by the restaurateurs Chris Corbin and Jeremy King, who began a major restoration and renovation project, though they retained many of the original features.[3] The Wolseley opened in November 2003, operating as an all-day café in the "Grand European" style. It has since received numerous accolades, including Harper & Moet's Restaurant of the Year 2004,[8] The Observer's Best Breakfast 2005 and 2009,[9] Tatler's Restaurant of the Year 2007[10] and Zagat's Favourite Restaurant 2012 and 2013.[11] The legendary restaurant critic A.A. Gill[12] wrote the book 'Breakfast at The Wolseley. The Wolseley has consistently been among London's most profitable restaurants, recording sales of over £10 million in 2007 alone.[13]

Architecture and decoration

When the building opened in 1921, elevations to both Arlington Street and Piccadilly were faced with Portland stone. Wolseley's car showroom occupied the entire ground floor. The interior walls were of polished Portland stone with blue York stone dressings, and the floor laid with white and black marble in intricate geometric designs, which remain today. The ceiling consisted of nine domes supported by Doric columns finished in red Japanese lacquer. Red, black and gold lacquer were also used on the doors, screens and wall panels. Lighting was provided by elaborate bronze pendants and concealed lamps which threw their rays into the domes to be reflected to the floor. Apart from covering the red lacquer columns with a black wrapping, the present interior remains very close to the original designs of William Curtis Green.[4]

References
  1. Minor Hotels enters UK with leading restaurant and hospitality operator Corbin & King
  2. Minor Hotels Buys Majority Stake in Upmarket UK Restaurant Group
  3. "History". The Wolseley. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  4. "Attack On Oversea Motor Trade." The Times. 8 November 1921. p.6; Issue 42872.
  5. "Wolseley House Sold. Purchase by Barclays Bank." The Times. 10 June 1926. p.16; Issue 44294.
  6. The Story of Barclays Bank 160 Piccadilly (1981). Barclays Bank Ltd.
  7. https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2000/mar/12/life1.lifemagazine7
  8. "The award-winning restaurants". London Evening Standard. 2 November 2004. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  9. "Observer Food Monthly Awards 2009". The Guardian. 20 March 2009. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  10. "Tatler Restaurant Awards 2007". Tatler. 2007. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  11. "Zagat 2013: The Wolseley, Wagamama and Roganic among winners". Big Hospitality. 10 September 2012. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  12. "A. A. Gill", Wikipedia, 22 September 2020, retrieved 6 October 2020
  13. "Wolseley restaurant sales top £10m". The Caterer. 5 November 2007. Retrieved 7 January 2015.

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