Clare Smyth and Daniel Boulud named chef partners at Waldorf Astoria London Admiralty Arch

Clare Smyth and Daniel Boulud have been appointed chef partners at Waldorf Astoria London Admiralty Arch, which is due to launch in 2026.

The chefs, who hold seven Michelin stars between them, will each oversee a signature restaurant at the hotel once it opens next year following an extensive restoration of the Grade I-listed building.

Smyth trained under Gordon Ramsay for 13 years and is now chef patron of the three-Michelin-starred restaurant Core by Clare Smyth in London’s Notting Hill, while Lyon-born, New York-based Boulud operates 18 restaurants worldwide, including the Michelin-starred Restaurant Daniel, Café Boulud at Maison Barnes, Le Pavillon, and Joji.

Boulud previously collaborated with Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park in London’s Knightsbridge to run Bar Boulud until its closure in 2020 following the expiration of its 10-year contract.

The Admiralty Arch property is set to be transformed into a 100-key luxury Hilton hotel in partnership with the Reuben Brothers, who took over ownership of the building at the base of the Mall by Trafalgar Square in 2022.

It will be the first Waldorf Astoria hotel in London.

At the time of the hard-hat tour of the hotel in summer 2023, a spokesperson for Waldorf Astoria London Admiralty Arch said the hotel would be an “F&B destination”, complete with an all-day diner and terrace with more than 100 covers, a 50-cover restaurant with chef’s table for formal dining, and an underground bar paying homage to the building’s historic residents, including Winston Churchill and Ian Fleming.

Guillaume Marly, general manager at Waldorf Astoria London Admiralty Arch, said: “With Clare Smyth and Daniel Boulud both confirmed to bring new culinary concepts to the property, Waldorf Astoria London Admiralty Arch is set to be a truly exceptional dining destination in the heart of the British capital. We look forward to unveiling more details about these exciting chef partnerships in the coming months.” 

Christopher J. Nassetta, president and chief executive at Hilton, which has over 30 Waldorf Astoria properties, added: “Admiralty Arch is undoubtedly one of the most iconic landmarks in London and we are delighted to be working with Reuben Brothers on this magnificent hotel.

“With a legacy of preserving and enhancing incredible historical buildings, Waldorf Astoria is a natural fit for this development, and Reuben Brothers’ proven track record in delivering projects of this magnitude makes them a wonderful partner.”

Admiralty Arch was originally commissioned by King Edward VII in memory of Queen Victoria and was completed in 1912.