French Chef Anne-Sophie Pic Is Bringing Her Restaurant Empire to London

Anne-Sophie Pic is one of the world’s most acclaimed French chefs, heading up several Michelin-starred restaurants in France and Switzerland. Now, the chef is poised to break into the highly competitive London dining scene.

Bloomberg reports the chef will debut a second outlet of her fine-dining concept La Dame de Pic at the Four Seasons Hotel London on January 26. Located inside the former headquarters of the Port of London Authority, the building has a history going back to the 1940s when it hosted dignitaries during the first meeting of the United Nations’ General Assembly. Italian chef Luca Piscazzi has been selected to helm the new restaurant, which will showcase Pic’s signature modern French dishes and a fixed-price lunch menu.

Pic had previously planned a North American expansion, setting her sights on opening two restaurants in New York City in 2015. However, in July 2015 the projects were suspended “until further notice”; it’s rumored that one of the expansion’s major investors backed out of the deal.

New York’s loss is apparently London’s gain, though Pic is still wary of entering a new, challenging market. She tells Bloomberg, “London is a very competitive city for restaurants, so don't give me too much pressure.”

• The Woman Atop French Food Prepares to Take On London [Bloomberg]
• Is America Ready for Chef Anne-Sophie Pic and Her Impeccable Palate? [E]
• Acclaimed French Chef Anne-Sophie Pic Scraps Plans to Open NYC Restaurants [ENY]