Last orders at Lyle’s as James Lowe calls time

Influential Shoreditch restaurant Lyle’s is closing down after 11 years, with founder James Lowe moving on to an “exciting upcoming solo project”. Meanwhile his original partner John Ogier, who left the business four years ago, is launching a rotisserie chicken specialist in East Dulwich.

Lyle’s launched in 2014, gaining a stellar reputation for modern produce-led British cuisine which led to international acclaim in the form of regular appearances on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list – a rare achievement for a relatively un-ritzy operation in a utilitarian setting. This year’s Harden’s guide reported that although it may have faded from the media spotlight, Lyle’s had “lost none of its culinary fizz”.

It is understood that its backers, the JKS group, will retain the premises in the ‘Tea Building’, while the restaurant will offer be serving a menu of Lyle’s classic dishes ahead of last service on Sunday 18 May.

James said: “I couldn’t be prouder of everything that we’ve accomplished at Lyle’s over the last eleven years. I love what we’ve done, how we’ve grown, adapted and learned. I want to say an enormous thank you to all members of the team past and present, it’s been a privilege to have worked with so many brilliant people. Lyle’s has also given me the opportunity to work with some of the best fishermen, artisanal producers and farmers in the UK. To evolve our food alongside them has been a journey that’s kept me inspired year after year. I’m looking forward to what comes next”.

John, who left Lyle’s in 2021 and opened restaurant Lasdun with the Marksman team in the South Bank arts centre two years ago, has teamed up with former Lyle’s chef Jack Coghlan to launch Norbert’s rotisserie in East Dulwich early this month.

He said: “I hate to be on trend but I have been planning this for the past two years. After doing something like Lasdun, I felt that I wanted to do something more local. I live here. My kids go to school here, and Jack’s local-ish (he lives in Peckham).

With just 20 covers, Norbert’s is on the site occupied until the beginning of this year by Il Mirto. John’s partner Helen Evans of nearby Eric’s bakery is providing milk buns for roast chicken sandwiches.

Me and Jack are going to be front and centre so we can just do super delicious chicken at a price point that works,” John said. “I’m not cool or trying to be cool. We’re just trying to be welcoming. This is somewhere you can come in for lunch with your kids, or later with your friends and have a bottle of wine.

People take themselves too seriously and I’m so over it. I want a relaxed, fun place to come to as well as work.”

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