Dominique Ansel to close both London sites

It has been confirmed that the Dominique Ansel Treehouse in Covent Garden will not reopen and Dominique Ansel Bakery in Victoria will close its doors on 31 August, as the businesses are no longer viable.

A statement from Ansel said: "London has been so wonderful and so supportive to us. Unfortunately, our licenser has told us that, in the light of the ongoing restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic, they do not think it will be possible to continue operating either location profitably."

The Treehouse opened barely six months ago as a sister site to the Bakery, which opened in 2016. Known for his croissant-doughnut crossover – the cronut – and Instagram-friendly interiors, the closures will see James Beard award-winning pastry chef Ansel with six sites remaining in New York, Los Angeles and Hong Kong.

Ansel spent six years as executive pastry chef of Daniel Boulud’s restaurant Daniel before opening his own bakery in New York in 2011.