London’s Pantechnicon to reopen as 19 Motcomb Street

Pantechnicon, the former Japanese-Nordic dining and retail space in London’s Knightsbridge, is reopening as 19 Motcomb Street this autumn following the closure of Eldr and the Roof Garden restaurants.

At the time of opening in September 2020, the building was home to the UK’s first outlet of Café Kitsune, Sakaya bar and boutique bottle shop, the 70-cover Eldr restaurant, its 130-cover rooftop bar and terrace known as Roof Garden, and Japanese restaurant Sachi, which first opened as a pop-up before fully launching as a restaurant in 2021.

In May 2022, The Caterer visited the Nordic-Japanese Roof Garden at Pantechnicon, which served dishes from Eldr, including Mentaiko spaghetti, cod roe, crispy seaweed and Atlantic shrimp, poached trout, potato and charred leek. 

Under the new plans, both Eldr and Roof Garden will be replaced by Sachi, a Kappo Japanese restaurant with 62 covers in the main dining room and 115 covers in the terrace, which is sheltered by a retractable ceiling. It will also feature a chef’s omakase table and host DJ nights.

Two further outlets will open, including the ground-floor and mezzanine Provençale restaurant Amélie, which will be led by head chef Steve Raveneau, who was previously head chef at the Birley Clubs. Its wine list will be curated by head of wine and beverage Erik Simonics.

Meanwhile, cocktail bar and lounge Luum will open under general manager Stefano Chila’, formerly of Chiltern Firehouse. The 88-cover bar, which will feature four snugs, has also secured a late-night licence and has developed a Luum lab, where guests are able to distil their own drinks using an exclusive Buchi Rotavapor R-300 machine.

A spokesperson for the site confirmed Café Kitsune will remain and will be located next door to the building.