Future of Green's restaurant uncertain amid Crown Estate demolition plans

London restaurant Green's is searching for a new home after it emerged that the site it has occupied for the past 34 years is to be demolished by the Crown Estate.

The restaurant in Duke Street, St James's, will close on 23 April as the Crown Estate redevelops the Duke's Court premises as part of a £500m investment strategy for the area.

The news emerged in a statement sent out to customers by email from the restaurant's owner Simon Parker Bowles, the former brother-in-law of the Duchess of Cornwall.

In his statement, Parker Bowles said: "Happily it will not be the final lunch or dinner this world famous restaurant will serve, as we are hot on the trail for a new home in the West End. As soon as our new site has been purchased there will be a further announcement and we will let all our longstanding and more recent customers know the details."

Parker Bowles founded Green's in 1982 and it was a favourite of the likes of Baroness Thatcher. Among other directors of the business, Green's (West End), are restaurateur Marlon Abela, Jonathan Harris and Patrick Willis. It is majority owned by Daresbury Restaurants Ltd.

Last summer, the Crown Estate announced plans to convert Duke's Court, where the restaurant sits, into 36,000 sq ft of office space, plus shops, restaurants and luxury apartments.

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