Record-high Mayfair restaurant rent set as Il Borro secures Nobu's Berkeley Street site

Italian restaurant group Il Borro is to open its first UK venue in the site to be vacated by Nobu next month, securing it at a record-high rent for a Mayfair restaurant.

The group, with restaurants in Tuscany, Florence and Dubai, has taken the 11,000 sq ft unit in Berkeley Street on a 20-year lease at a price believed to be in excess of £200 per sq ft. The price tag puts the annual rent in the region of £2.2m.

It will serve authentic Italian dishes featuring produce sourced from its 700-hectare estate in Tuscany.

Josh Braid, partner for Knight Frank, who marketed the site, said: “We are delighted at bringing a piece of Italy’s Tuscan region to London’s world-class restaurant destination in Mayfair.

“After a global search for this renowned flagship, we were impressed with Il Borro’s culture, creativity and attention to detail making this combination a truly exciting prospect for London’s fine dining scene.”

Nobu will close on 23 March ahead of a relocation to Nobu Hotel London Portman Square, this summer. The group opened in Mayfair’s Berkeley Street 15 years ago and held a Michelin star at the site between 2006 and 2014.