M Restaurants – City of London, Former Gaucho boss secures first London restaurant for new concept

Former Gaucho boss secures first London restaurant for new concept

A new restaurant format launched by the former managing director of Gaucho Restaurants has secured its first London site. M Restaurants, the brainchild of Martin Williams, has taken a 20-year lease on a circa 12,000 sq ft unit at 60 Threadneedle Street, EC2, from St Martin’s Property Group.

Having joined Gaucho in 2005, Martin Williams was latterly responsible for leading its operations team and for implementing group strategy. Since his departure in April 2014, Williams has been working on the creation of a new restaurant concept, which will be one of the most highly anticipated openings of the year.

The restaurant concept offers three different strands: M Bar, a cocktail bar with a private member’s club feel; Raw Bar, a sushi and ceviche casual dining format and M Grill, a high quality restaurant specialising in fine steaks and fine wines.

Sally French of Restaurant Property, who advised on the letting said: “With a proven track record at one of London’s most loved restaurant brands, Martin knows his market inside out and has responded with a concept to get excited about.”

Williams will be joined in his new enterprise by former colleagues including executive chef Mike Reid, a former executive chef at Gaucho Group and previously of Le Gavroche and Royal Hospital Road and bar beverage director, Lance Perkins, previously director of beverage and bars for Gaucho Restaurants and most recently heading up beverages and bars at the Ian Schrager London EDITION Hotel.

Having secured its first site, the group will be targeting expansion throughout the capital and will be targeting sites in locations such as Mayfair, Soho, London Bridge, Canary Wharf and the City.