Theo Clench to relaunch Humo site as IGNI

Theo Clench is set to open IGNI in Mayfair on Wednesday, April 22, taking over the former Humo site with a new fire-led concept.

Creative Restaurant Group will launch the 34-cover restaurant with a 10-seater chef’s table on St George Street, with Theo leading the kitchen as executive chef alongside general manager Gaëlle Dubois.

The new opening will replace Humo with what the group describes as a refined evolution of fire dining, focused on seafood and world-class produce.

Former Cycene and Akoko chef Theo said: “I am incredibly excited to be opening IGNI with Creative Restaurant Group. I have been with the company for a few months and realised our vision of hospitality, people, culture and restaurants align.

“As CRG is always evolving, the opportunity to open IGNI arose. We are building an incredible team, full of young, passionate cooks who are essential to the future of the industry.

“For me this is the culmination of years of experience and I am incredibly excited to be back cooking in the heart of London, we are creating something truly unique, we are looking forward to showing everyone what we are creating in Mayfair.”

Behind the IGNI menu

Theo had been supporting the group with kitchen development since January 2026, and IGNI’s menu is being positioned as a culinary map of his own background and influences.

The restaurant said the cooking would not be driven solely by seasonality, but by relationships with elite producers.

While the new restaurant pays homage to the elemental foundations that defined Humo, IGNI is set to pivot more clearly towards the coast, using refined fire cooking to explore premium seafood. The concept draws on Theo’s upbringing in Brighton and his childhood memories by the water, weaving smoke and flame through a menu shaped by both land and sea.

Creative Restaurant Group said fire would remain central to the identity of the restaurant, with wood used as fuel and fire as the sole cooking tool. Like Humo, IGNI will operate without electricity or gas in the kitchen, continuing the site’s distinctive approach to live-fire cooking.

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Humo site enters new chapter after Michelin loss

The relaunch marks a significant new chapter for a restaurant space that had quickly established itself as one of London’s most closely watched openings. Humo previously held a Michelin star under Miller Prada.

After Miller’s departure in 2025, Robbie Jameson became head chef, before the restaurant lost its Michelin star in February 2026.

Now, IGNI is set to take the site in a different direction, while retaining the same underlying respect for fire and precision.

Menu highlights will include oyster, cucumber, nasturtium, described as ember-cooked oyster with cucumber sauce, soft herb oil, fermented cucumber, nasturtium and bronze fennel. Another dish, turbot, lettuce, sake, will pair aged turbot on brioche with charred lettuce, smoked bone caramel and teriyaki turbot fins.

There will also be a sustainable bluefin tuna course showcasing three parts of the fish: aged tuna chutoro with foie gras, shiso and wasabi; tartlet of akami with lapsang ponzu jelly; and a chiai parfait with red pepper and 25-year-old Pedro Ximénez.

Desserts will include tofu, chocolate, koji, featuring smoked silken tofu, madong chocolate, roasted koji and wheat leaf tuiles.

‘Liquid kitchen’ approach

Creative Restaurant Group managing director Milena Floyd said: “We are thrilled to announce the launch of IGNI. It's an honour to collaborate with such a talented team, led by executive chef Theo Clench and general manager Gaëlle Dubois.

“We eagerly look forward to welcoming our guests to experience IGNI.”

That attention to detail is intended to run throughout the restaurant. Theo and the team have hand-selected crockery from independent artisans in Spain and Japan, while bespoke woodwork and cutlery have been co-designed with Theo’s friend and designer, Raw Materials Inc.

The wine list has been overseen by head sommelier Alessio Ragusini, formerly of La Dame de Pic, who said the team is building relationships with leading Burgundy producers including Méo-Camuzet, Ramonet and Dujac, with the long-term aim of securing rare cuvées directly from the domaines.

Alongside the wine, the restaurant’s drinks programme will follow what the team describes as a “liquid kitchen” approach, taking direct inspiration from the food menu and using shared ingredients and flavours so drinks work in step with the dishes rather than separately from them.

The cocktail list will focus on refined twists on classics, while also drawing on low-waste techniques using trims and by-products such as peels, oyster shells, beurre noisette and tea extracts. A non-alcoholic pairing will also be available.

Supporting Theo in the kitchen will be a young team including senior sous chef Antonis Gkoumas, formerly of Pied à Terre, and pastry chef William Scanlan, who has worked with Theo since 2019.

IGNI will operate with set menus only, offering eight, five or three courses, with the set lunch menu priced at £49.