Former City Social head chef joins London seafood restaurant Applebee’s

Frankie van Loo, former head chef at Jason Atherton’s Michelin-starred City Social, has been appointed executive chef at Applebee’s in London’s Borough Market.

Van Loo has spent 13 years at the Social Company, having worked across Pollen Street Social, Social Eating House and Hai Cenato.

He joins Applebee’s ahead of the seafood restaurant’s relaunch in February 2025, which will mark the family-owned business’ 25th anniversary.

Applebee’s was founded by Joy and Graham Applebee in 1998, having started as a fresh fish stall before becoming a bricks-and-mortar restaurant on Stoney Street.

The restaurant will undergo a refurbishment led by hospitality design studio A-nrd, which will result in a 70-cover dining hall with a fresh fish counter, a live-fire grill and an outdoor space.

Van Loo will work with chief executive Jack Applebee, son of the Applebees, to create a new menu featuring ingredients from Brixham Fish Market.

Dishes will include the likes of brown crab rarebit, grilled dover sole with brown shrimp and the signature Applebee’s fish and chips, “elevated”.

Jack said: “We are extremely proud to celebrate our 25th anniversary with the relaunch of our restaurant. As a family-run business, we have always had quality at the forefront of anything we do, and we remain committed to sourcing the highest quality seafood from our shores.

“As part of our reopening, we will also be providing all guests, old and new, with a more elevated dining experience in a fresh space with a greater emphasis on the journey in which our seafood takes from when it is caught.”