James Close on his ambition to ‘reignite’ Rockliffe Hall with his new restaurant

Going global

The 36-cover Atlas restaurant will be led by James alongside his wife Maria, who will work across pâtisserie and overall development.

Guests will begin their visit in a dedicated Champagne area with a glass of Henri Giraud Champagne. Atlas will feature a six-seat chef’s table, akin to the one at Close’s former restaurant, where guests will choose from a menu that will act as a global tour of the countries and cuisines that have inspired the couple on their travels over the past two decades – from Biarritz to Bologna and the Black Forest.

The menu will begin with a range of globally diverse small plates, including oysters inspired by the couple’s visit to La Rochelle in France, before moving onto a more classic European selection of mains and “revamped classics” from the Raby Hunt.

“What we did at [Raby Hunt] was great and we’re going to continue down that same concept, but we’ve been given an opportunity to really elevate the experience as well through the service and the wine,” Close said.

“The way we do the second half of the menu might be a bit more grown-up compared to what we used to do,” he added.

As well as a chef’s table, the restaurant will feature three central open kitchen islands where diners can watch different sections of the menu being prepared in front of them.

This sense of showmanship, alongside ageing fridges, a citrus fridge and a floor-to-ceiling spice wall, all reinforce a sense of proximity between guests, produce and chefs, said the couple. 

Joining James and Maria at Atlas will be Adam Molloy as assistant culinary director, Shaun Hurrell as head chef, Jack Adams as restaurant manager and Manuel Ghezzi, formerly of the Connaught, as head of wine.

As well as executing his vision for Atlas, Close has worked cheek-by-jowl with Rockliffe Hall’s owner Steve Gibson and the wider team to “reignite the whole of Rockliffe”.

Alongside Atlas, he is overseeing an overhaul of the resort’s existing food and beverage offerings to create six dining and bar experiences. These will include transitioning the Clubhouse to a sports bar, set to be unveiled next year, and launching an Italian-American-inspired culinary offering in the Orangery, which will include a Negroni trolley in its room service offering.

Paul Nicholson, who has led the resort’s Orangery restaurant since 2022, will move into the position of executive chef across the resort, while Atlas will be Close’s main focus.

Close is also working on the cocktail and wine offering, a passion he shares with the hotel’s owner, Gibson, who also owns Middlesborough FC. A private wine cellar is being built as part of the renovation of the Grade II-listed Old Hall, which will supplement the menus across all of Rockliffe Hall’s restaurants and bars.

Close is also helming the development of a new Japanese-inspired mixology bar, which he aims to make “one of the best bars in the world”.

All of Rockliffe Hall’s new culinary offerings, with the exception of the Clubhouse, are set to be unveiled in summer alongside Atlas.