London outpost of New York's Hotel Chantelle closes

The London outpost of New York restaurant Hotel Chantelle has closed little more than six months after it opened behind Selfridges on Orchard Street.

The 100-cover restaurant, which sat above the Bonbonniere Club, was the first international expansion for restaurateurs and partners Frank Alessio, Kyle O'Brien, Ravi Patel and executive chef Seth Levine.

Levine promised a menu of new American and ‘fun French fare', which included signature dinner dishes such as waffle-crusted fried chicken with maple syrup cotton candy.

However, it received mixed reviews, including a memorable 0/10 for both food and value for money from the Guardian restaurant critic Marina O'Loughlin, who declared: "Hotel Chantelle is, in every sense of the word, utterly, utterly tasteless."

Meanwhile, the London Evening Standard's Grace Dent was kinder about the food but questioned the decision by the restaurant to send an email to would-be diners informing them of a strict 15 minute "grace period" on their table, allowing the table for a maximum of two hours before it had to be handed back, and informing Dent that none of her party of four would be seated until all of them were present. "This kind of non-hospitable hospitality is like catnip to me. It may fly in NY, darling, but in London you can stick it," Dent said.

The restaurant is thought to have closed its doors around three weeks ago and will not reopen, after its owners decided to sell up, according to Bloomberg's Richard Vines.

The space the restaurant once occupied is now empty and it is not yet known what will replace it.

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