Patrick Powell's Midland Grand Dining Room reveals opening date

Chef Patrick Powell is to open the Midland Grand Dining Room within the St Pancras Renaissance hotel in London’s King’s Cross in April.

It comes after initial details of his takeover of the space which previously housed Marcus Wareing’s the Gilbert Scott were announced last September.

Powell has once again partnered with restaurateur and hotelier, Harry Handelsman, for his latest opening.

The chef’s previous experience includes L’Ecrivain in Dublin, Cutler & Co in Melbourne and Wild Honey in London.

He also spent four years as head chef of Chiltern Firehouse in London’s Marylebone, where he was chosen by Handelsman to open the Allegra on the seventh floor of Handelsman's Manhattan Loft Gardens development in Stratford. Powell will continue to oversee the restaurant.

The Midland Grand Dining Room, designed by Hugh Toro, will feature a Gothic Bar, a private dining room, a chef’s table experience and a large outdoor terrace, all of which have been shaped by French influences.

Toro’s interior design also honours the Victorian origins of the dining room, which seats 86. The original building, which was home to the Midland Grand Hotel, dates to 1873.

Powell’s dishes, available as à la carte or as a set lunch, will build on French traditions while showcasing British fish and meat.

Examples include crab and elderflower pain perdu; chicken liver parfait with a truffle and Madeira jelly; Welsh lamb with Pommes Anna, ratatouille and whipped aubergine; and grilled Dover sole and Epping honey madeleines.

The wine list will mainly feature old world wines and a selection of cocktails curated by bar manager Jack Porter.

Emma Underwood has been named general manager and she will be assisted by Tebeho Tsekelo, with Jack Porter as bar manager, Charlie Crote as head chef, and Arran Schaffer as head pastry chef.

Handelsman said: "Since I redeveloped and reopened St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel back in 2011, the regeneration of King's Cross has continued apace cementing midtown as a true destination within the capital, and I'm convinced that under Patrick Powell, the upcoming launch of The Midland Grand Dining Room will go a long way to now securing the neighbourhood's culinary reputation too."

Powell added: “I first walked past the building within days of moving to London and was immediately in awe of it. So to now be opening a restaurant within it just over ten years later feels like an extraordinary privilege. The layers of history that permeate the restaurant and adjoining bar create this extraordinary sense of excitement, and thanks to Harry, I can't wait to be a part of its next chapter.”