Dom Chapman to open restaurant in Henley hotel

Chef Dom Chapman is to open a hotel restaurant in Henley in early 2024.

The 60-cover restaurant will focus on classic British dishes and offer breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner to guests.

It will be based in the Relais Henley hotel, a boutique 40-room property managed by the Relais Retreats Group – a two-strong business led by owners Grace Leo and Tim Hartnoll.

The restaurant will also feature an outdoor dining area with the option to seat up to 50 people.

It will be headed up by Chapman as executive chef and his long-term colleague David Thompson as head chef.

Chapman won a Michelin star during his time at the Royal Oak Paley Street and his restaurant the Beehive in Berkshire held two-AA-rosettes.

His menu at the Henley restaurant will include dishes such as rabbit and bacon terrine with Cumberland sauce; Lancashire hot pot with pickled red cabbage; and oxtail and kidney pie and mash.

Chapman said: “We’re all incredibly excited about the opening of the restaurant. Henley is a beautiful town, and the perfect setting for the style of food we want to introduce to the area.”

Leo added: “We are delighted to welcome Dominic to the area and cannot wait to share his wonderful cooking with our local community.”

The move comes a week after it was announced Chapman had sold the lease of the Beehive to new operator Tangy Treat Ltd after nine years.

His team acquired the Crown at Burchetts Green in Maidenhead from chef Simon Bonwick in 2022 and reopened the restaurant in June of that year.