Michelin-starred Lyle's to close its doors after 11 years

Lyle's, a Michelin-starred restaurant in London, has announced it is permanently closing after 11 years.

Lyle's, run by head chef and founder James Lowe, is renowned for its seasonal British cuisine and minimalist, ingredient-led approach.

Just 18 months after opening, Lyle's was awarded its first Michelin star. James was devoted to fresh and seasonal and ensured that it was central to  menu.

Biography

The chef originally wanted to be a pilot, but working in a restaurant allowed James to see the talented chefs in action, and he fell in love with their respect and adoration for the produce they were handling.

That converted James, and his heart was then set on becoming a chef. He was determined to have his own restaurant by 30.

James worked hard at Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck, Rob Weston’s La Trompette and Fergus Henderson’s St John. He needed to learn as much as he and was able to work at high-achieving restaurants. He was finally prepared to work alongside his friend Isaac McHale in a restaurant, The Ten Bells, Spitalfields.

It was only after this that James was able to live out his dream of opening his own restaurant in April 2014. Lyle's would be located in Shoreditch’s Tea Building and run in partnership with John Ogier, who James met while working at St John Bread and Wine and the backing of JKS - also behind celebrated restaurants Gymkana, Trishna and Sabor.

CLOsure

A post on social media read: “After eleven fantastic years, Lyle’s will be closing this May with our last service on Sunday 18th.

I want to say an enormous thank you to all members of the team past and present, it’s been a privilege to have worked with so many brilliant people. They’ve helped Lyle’s stay true to its core principles - honesty, humility, no frills, no fuss, just genuine care and a constant drive to learn more and grow. I couldn’t be more proud of everything that we’ve accomplished together over the last eleven years.

Lyle’s has also given me the opportunity to work with some of the best fishermen, artisanal producers and farmers in the UK. It’s been an honour to share what they create. I want to give a huge thanks to them for trusting us with their work, I have always tried to ensure we did it justice. For our food to have evolved alongside them has been a journey that’s kept me inspired year after year.

I want to wish lots of love and luck to everyone that’s been even a small part of Lyle’s. I look forward to working with as many of you as possible in the future.

Our last service will be lunch on Sunday 18th May, so hopefully we’ll see you at some point over the next few weeks."

Written by Abi Kinsella