The leading global network of culinary arts and hospitality management institutes, Le Cordon Bleu recently launched a new dining concept in the heart of London called CORD. The space serves as a fine-dining restaurant, café and an outpost to the London Le Cordon Bleu culinary institute, providing short courses with Le Cordon Bleu Master chefs for all gourmet and wine lovers eager to learn more.

© Patricia Tobin

“As we transition out of the pandemic, we prepare to open the doors to our first-ever dining, café and cooking school concept in London – a notable milestone as we continue to celebrate excellence in teaching around the world,” said André J. Cointreau, president and CEO, Le Cordon Bleu. “At CORD, we aim to deliver savoir-faire and quality, bringing together unique techniques and the freshest, best-in-season ingredients across worldwide cuisines. Our guests will join us on a voyage to experience first-hand the exceptional level of skills delivered by our talented chefs at the same time receiving a warm and expert service level in a relaxed setting.”

The 90-seat restaurant is open for lunch and dinner, Monday–Friday, highlighting various menu items, from daily á la carte dishes to a weekly changing set lunch to dinner tasting menus. Some of the star dishes include handpicked crab meat, cucumber, rhubarb and radish marmalade with herb toast, brown crab dressing and watercress oil; marinated sea bream, corn guacamole and citrus, confit lemon, grilled corn and marjoram; and corn-fed chicken with confit shallots, peas, baby carrots and tarragon jus.

© Patricia Tobin

In addition to wine pairings, desserts include warm, steamed Muscovado sponge, spiced cherries, fig leaf ice cream and green pistachio, and candied ginger panna cotta with rhubarb and rose.

Guests dining in CORD sit among bold and contemporary design and interior décor, with statement light installations and a refined palette of colors complementing the cuisine served. Using geometry and grids at its core, the layout and overall design of the restaurant reflects 17^th-century Parisian designs.