David Moore – the man behind London’s longest-standing Michelin-starred restaurant Pied à Terre

To stay relevant, open and busy across 35 years is a huge feat in itself for a restaurant in London. To do so whilst maintaining the exacting standards required to hold a Michelin star is an even rarer achievement.

Pied à Terre in Fitzrovia, overseen by David Moore, opened in December 1991 and by January 1993, held a Michelin star, something it has retained ever since, including spells with two stars. No other restaurant in London can match that longevity.

Since 1991, Pied à Terre has seen scores of talented chefs come and go on to their own ventures, with many changes at the top of the kitchen pecking order. The head chefs of the past include Richard Neat, Tom Aikens, Shane Osborn, Andy McFadden and Asimakis Chaniotis.

The restaurant has survived the economic crisis of 2008, a fire forcing the building to close for almost a year, COVID, and the current pressures on hospitality – with the one constant being the effervescent David at the helm.

David Moore – the man behind the success

“I believe David is the soul of their success, through his personality and keeping everyone motivated,” said chef Andy Beynon, who runs Michelin-starred Behind in Hackney.

Andy worked at Pied à Terre under Marcus Eaves around 15 years ago.

“I think David’s surely the reason they’ve been so successful. He was there every day,” Andy continued.

“They’ve been very consistent. They’ve had some incredible chefs.”

Steve Drake, who worked at Pied à Terre in the late 1990s under Tom Aikens, before going on to win The Roux Scholarship and run Michelin-starred restaurants of his own, concurred.

“David is a very clever restaurateur,” he said.

“He’s seen it all, done it all and kept that place going, which is really impressive.”

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Richard Neat opened Pied à Terre with David back in 1991. The pair met whilst working at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons under Raymond Blanc, with Richard also having experience working for Joël Robuchon, and then as head chef for Marco Pierre White at Harvey’s, with the likes of budding young chefs Gordon Ramsay and Phil Howard in his brigade.

“David is an exceptional restaurateur,” he explained.

“When we opened it in '91, Dave and I, we established it very, very quickly as an address for great food, great service and even super cool decor, with all the artwork.

"But I think what really explains how it's achieved its longevity is it's a place where you can just go there, hang out, and you're going to be looked after. David established very, very quickly that people mattered. It's a nice restaurant to sit in and pass a few hours.

“Congratulations to David, it’s an extraordinary achievement.”

Reflecting on the early days of opening the restaurant, Richard, who now runs a culinary workshop, added: “It was chaotic, it was hectic, it was mad every single moment. Not by the day, but by the minute. Emotionally I was probably ill-prepared.

“I think you're never really prepared for this level of scrutiny, which we received very, very early on. With our backgrounds at Le Manoir, and I'd worked for Robuchon, there was a great deal of interest in the restaurant from the very first day.

“I wasn't prepared for it, and it was very hard.”

Those memories of the early days are something which resonate with David himself too.

“We were full of enthusiasm and energy,” he began.

“Richard and I had been planning to open a restaurant together for some years. We'd be coming up to London to look at sites. Bringing Raymond on board as an investor was really the catalyst for making it all happen.

“34 Charlotte Street became available at very short notice and on very favourable terms.

“We opened for a week in December 1991. It was bonkers. I was up at 6am sweeping the floor, cleaning the toilets, stocking the bar, laying the tables. And Richard changed the menu every day. Nothing ever stayed the same. Sometimes he wouldn't give us the details of the lunch menu until as late as 10.30 in the morning. We didn't have a computer at the time, so at 11, I would be at the printers down the road, and I'd be coming back here, running upstairs, getting changed into a suit.

“I think it was about six weeks in that I got my first employee. It was really hard. If you couldn't do it yourself, it didn't happen. It was tricky times, but we were up for it.

“The only thing harder than opening a restaurant is keeping it open.”

Which chefs have worked at Pied à Terre?

As is the nature of the business, staff move on, including head chefs. David’s philosophy has tended to lean towards promoting from within. But he admitted whenever there is a change at the top, it leads to some stressful times.

“The calibre of talent that has gone through that kitchen is amazing,” David said.

“We've had two Michelin stars as well, with three chefs – Richard, Tom and Shane.

“I sometimes feel it's a little unfair that we don't give more credit to the further alumni. Many have gone on to do much greater things. People like Björn Frantzén and Daniel Calvert have come through the Pied à Terre kitchen, as well as front-of-house talents.

“The web stretches around the planet. You can't keep a restaurant like this open just with a head chef. It needs talent at every level.

“One of the great things that still stands true, from Richard through to Aggelos (Kassais) now, is that it's always been the sous chef who steps up and takes over the kitchen.

“It's a big moment. I can't explain how big a moment it is when a head chef decides to leave. It is a stomach-churning month to year, getting that first guide under your belt, making sure everything’s kept tip top.”

How David Moore has kept Pied à Terre relevant for 35 years

David has made changes to Pied à Terre along the way, including the switch to tasting menus after COVID and the drive to produce a vegetarian menu, before many other restaurants did, his now iconic “crazy shirt collection” and more recently changing the playlist in the restaurant to bands he enjoyed growing up.

But many values have remained for the 35 years, through to Aggelos Kassais, the Greek chef who has been at the helm as head chef at Pied à Terre for the past year, having previously worked at the restaurant under Asimakis as sous chef for three years.

“What's great about Aggelos is he's a nice human being,” David said.

“He's a cool character who doesn't get ruffled, and he's learning as he goes along. There are schools of thought, like less is more. Aggelos is going through his more is more.

“His formative years are challenging to him, because he's ambitious and he feels he needs to flex culinary muscle. And I think that will relax in years two and three and he'll look at what he can remove from the plate to make it cleaner and simpler.

“But generally, he's settled into the role well. He has an understanding and a love of this restaurant.

“This isn't just a job as a head chef for him. This is almost like a coming home for him. He takes ownership over the building. He's thoughtful. He thinks of it as his own. He's giving of his time. Nothing's ever too much trouble.”

As soon as the opportunity arose to return to Pied à Terre, it was an easy answer for Aggelos, who turns 30 next year.

He said: “When David offered me the head chef position, to be honest, I didn't even think about it for a minute - I said yes.

“As head chef, obviously you have to feel the pressure, and respect the legacy of the restaurant: 35 years, and 33 of those with a Michelin star.

“When I'm under pressure, I find I cook better. I'm from Greece, the culture of my country follows me, and I bring it here to Pied à Terre.

“It's very interesting to work with David Moore. He teaches the team lot. He's always in a nice mood. Even if the whole restaurant is running, he's the calmest person. He is a legend.”

Pied à Terre’s legacy and future

Whatever the future looks like for Pied à Terre, the legacy David has created is clear.

He said: “People ask me, the name Pied à Terre, where did that come from? If you look it up, it's in the English dictionary. It's defined as a small place in town. It's a foot in the ground.

“We wanted to be everyone's place in town. We wanted to be a small restaurant. We wanted to be welcoming, inclusive and hospitable. We continue to be the place that people come to and are surprised by the easy chat that we have with everybody whilst delivering a Michelin-starred meal.”

He added: “Actually, I consider myself a failure, because in my mind I'd come into opening Pied à Terre with Richard on a five-year deal. I always planned on leaving at the end of the five years, moving on and doing something different, probably less Michelin and less gastronomic.

“But then, with Richard leaving and Tom coming in, it just didn't happen. And I just stuck around longer than everybody else.

"But going forward, it is an interesting time, because our lease on this building is up in 2029. I'll be 65. Will I want to take on a new 20-year lease? Well, I'd like to share the load more.

“I'd like Pied à Terre to become a staff co-operative, owned and run by the team, and see how they can do it. That's the goal.

“I would love Pied à Terre to sail into the sunset for another 20 years."