Pierre Koffmann reunites with Ben Murphy to launch new 74 Charlotte Street dinner series

Pierre Koffmann will reunite with his former protégé Ben Murphy for a one-night-only dinner at 74 Charlotte Street on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, launching a new chef collaboration series called Ben & Friends at the Fitzrovia restaurant.

The French chef, who trained Ben for four years at Koffmann's at The Berkeley, will recreate some of his most influential dishes, including his signature pig's trotter and pistachio soufflé, at a dinner priced at £250 per person.

The menu and the reunion

Guests at the launch dinner will begin with pissaladière, followed by a crab salad with Granny Smith apple and cucumber, before moving on to lobster ravioli with bouillabaisse.

Pierre's pig's trotter à la Pierre Koffmann, the dish that helped define his career at La Tante Claire, will take centre stage, with the meal closing on his celebrated pistachio soufflé and a selection of petit fours including tarte au citron and madeleine. An optional wine pairing is available for £95

Speaking about the launch, Ben said: “Pierre has had an enormous influence on my career, so it feels incredibly special to welcome him at 74 Charlotte Street to launch Ben & Friends.

“I'm excited to cook alongside some of the best chefs in the world, with each collaboration bringing something unique, and fun, for our guests.”

Pierre said: “Ben's passion, dedication and respect for great ingredients have always stood out, so it's a pleasure to be reunited in the kitchen with him.

“We've created a menu that celebrates our shared love of classic cooking, and I'm looking forward to welcoming guests for what promises to be a memorable evening.”

From protégé to head chef

Ben, who won Young National Chef of the Year in 2012, trained at Westminster Kingsway College before building his career across some of the industry's most demanding kitchens, including Épicure at Le Bristol and Les Prés d'Eugénie in France, as well as Per Se and Eleven Madison Park in New York.

His most formative period came under Pierre at The Berkeley, where he spent four years absorbing the classical French technique that still underpins his cooking today. Ben has previously credited Pierre directly for shaping his career, saying: “It's all been directed by Pierre really.”

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That influence has surfaced in Ben's own kitchens before. At The Woodford, he reworked Pierre's pistachio soufflé into a pineapple version with sambuca and passion fruit, and adapted Pierre's technique for pork crisps.

At 74 Charlotte Street, which opened this year in Fitzrovia under WSH Restaurants, Ben leads a 75-cover restaurant designed by Chris Bagot Architects, with senior general manager Rosario Cappiello overseeing service and a 300-bottle wine list.

Pierre Koffmann's five decades in kitchens

Pierre moved to the UK in 1970, working under Michel and Albert Roux at Le Gavroche before becoming the first head chef at their Waterside Inn in Bray in 1972.

He went on to open La Tante Claire on Royal Hospital Road in Chelsea in 1977, earning a Michelin star in 1979, a second in 1980 and a third in 1983, one of the fastest three-star trajectories in British restaurant history.

The restaurant, and its pig's trotter stuffed with sweetbreads, chicken mousseline and morels, became a training ground for a generation of British chefs, including Gordon Ramsay, Marco Pierre White and Marcus Wareing.

Pierre closed La Tante Claire in 2003 and later opened Koffmann's at The Berkeley in 2010, focusing on the Gascon cooking of his childhood, before the restaurant closed at the end of 2016.

What's next for Ben & Friends

Following the launch dinner with Pierre, 74 Charlotte Street said Ben & Friends will continue throughout the year with further one-night-only collaborations, each pairing Ben with a different chef who has influenced his career.

Details of future guest chefs, menus and booking dates will be announced from September onwards.

Tickets for the Pierre Koffmann dinner on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, are available to book now via 74 Charlotte Street.