Chef Michael Riemenschneider secures former Le Cercle site for new Canvas

Chef and restaurateur Michael Riemenschneider has secured the former site of Le Cercle as the new location for his Canvas restaurant.

The new 60-80 cover site at 1 Wilbraham Place off Sloane Street is expected to open within the next three weeks, following the relocation from a smaller 20-cover site in Marylebone, which opened in January this year.

Pascal Aussignac and business partner Vincent Labeyrie opened what was Le Cercle at the address in May 2004 but closed it in late 2013 after landlord Cheval decided to redevelop the site.

Riemenschneider plans to spend most of his time cooking in the kitchen of the new Canvas in London, despite his recent acquisition of the Black Boys Inn in Hurley.

At Canvas he will adopt a slightly less formal approach than the one taken at its original site. The restaurant is expected to feature a 12-seater chef’s table, its own wine cellar, a 20-seat private dining room and a dessert bar where diners will be offered the chance to plate their own dishes.

The deal for 1 Wilbraham Place has been brokered by Restaurant Property which is acting as the sole agent for Riemenschneider and has also been tasked with finding a restaurant in a central London hotel as well as properties in affluent areas of Surrey.

Strutt and Parker acted  for Cheval.