If you're acquainted with the most popular Covent Garden restaurants, the name Cora Pearl will no doubt be familiar. As the home of elevated British comfort food in London's west end, Cora Pearl has been delighting diners since it opened its doors in 2018. The origins of this institution trace back further, though, to another eatery entirely.
Long before Cora Pearl became a Covent Garden restaurant of note, the owners – Tom Mullion, Tim Steel and Oliver Milburn – made their name with Kitty Fishers in Mayfair. Much like Cora Pearl, Kitty Fisher's specialises in British cuisine (albeit with a Spanish twist), with head chef George Barson initially making the move to the popular Covent Garden restaurant.
The moniker Cora Pearl was taken from a British courtesan that made her name in Paris, much like Kitty Fisher. The idea of a Covent Garden restaurant was a long-term dream for the owners, who identified a potential site in Henrietta Street and enlisted the services of celebrated NY-based architect Basil Walter to design the cosy layout of the building.
Since it opened its doors to rapturous reviews from food critics, Cora Pearl has become an institution of the west end. It takes a lot for a Covent Garden restaurant to prove successful, especially considering the various challenges faced by the catering trade since 2018. Nobody saw Covid-19 or the global energy crisis coming at this stage, after all! Despite this, Cora Pearl remains one of the quintessential dining experiences in the capital – while Kitty Fisher's continues to enjoy a roaring trade.
Who knows what the future holds for Mullion, Steel, and Milburn. It's safe to say that if somebody can make a success of a Covent Garden restaurant, they should be able to repeat the trick anywhere in the world. Watch out for future news surrounding other ventures for this dedicated and successful team.
No comments yet