Mark Jarvis closes Stem in London's Mayfair ‘for the time being'
Mark Jarvis' Stem in Mayfair has closed for an indefinite period after just more than a year of business, citing ongoing street works, which have "harmed profitability".
The closure of the 50-cover restaurant this weekend, after 13 months of service, was noted by Eater London. The site, which is highly regarded, has received a four out of five for both food and service in the 2019 Harden's UK guide.
The closure leaves Jarvis with one remaining site, Anglo in London's Farringdon, which won the Newcomer Award at the 2017 Cateys and which is where the chef focuses the majority of his time.
In a statement Jarvis said: "I have closed Stem restaurant for the time being, while we re-evalutate our plans for the site.
"It has been increasingly difficult over the last few months trying to trade successfully with intrusive ongoing building and street works right in front of the restaurant. No decisions on the future of Stem have been made as yet."
It follows the departure of head chef, Sam Ashton-Booth, at the end of April and restaurant manager Emma Underwood, who left to launch Darby's by Robin Gill in London's Battersea as the site's general manager. In a Menuwatch article in February, The Caterer‘s James Stagg noted that "with their guest-centric approach and technical skill, Ashton-Booth and Underwood form a formidable pairing".
Ashton-Booth was replaced by his former sous chef Tom Millar.
In 2017 Jarvis launched Neo Bistro in central London, serving as a consultant chef in a joint project with Alex Harper, formerly of the Harwood Arms. The chef announced he was no longer involved in the site in December last year, and the restaurant later closed for good in February.
Sam Ashton-Booth to leave head chef role at Mark Jarvis restaurant Stem>>
