The landmark Oxo Tower Restaurant on London’s South Bank has been acquired by the trio behind Fallow in St James’s, who say they plan to work with the current team before introducing changes next year.
The move follows the sale this week of the Chelsea department store Harvey Nichols, which opened Oxo Tower Restaurant and its neighbouring Brasserie in 1996. Mike Ashley, the owner of Sports Direct and Frasers, bought the struggling store for £40million in a pre-pack insolvency deal, which the restaurant was not part of.
Fallow was founded eight years ago by chefs Jack Croft and Will Murray and entrepreneur James Robinson, originally as a pop-up. The business has grown quickly through a twin emphasis on sustainability and social media, moving into St James’s in 2021 quickly followed by the opening of chicken specialist Fowl and then Roe in Canary Wharf.
James said of the Oxo Tower move: “We could not resist this gem of an Art Deco landmark. The eighth floor views are world famous and we look forward to working with the incumbent team and landlord to bring some additional character and energy back to this wonderful site.
“Initially we will look to empower the current team and then patiently tweak and give some love back to the operation from 2027 and beyond.
“This will be a work in progress and I’m excited to see how our various media and culinary teams can help bring this beloved site to full potential. We’re looking forward to working with the social enterprise landlord which sits harmoniously with our core values and B Corp standards.”
The trio have a tough task ahead of them. Despite its iconic setting, 250-ft garden terrace and spectacular views over the Thames and St Paul’s, Oxo Tower has been the butt of consistently dire reviews in the Harden’s guide throughout its 30-year history, and has topped our list of the capital’s “most disappointing cooking” for the past three years.
