Earlier this year, the Waldorf Astoria announced acclaimed chef-restaurateurs Clare Smyth and Daniel Boulud – whose restaurants hold seven Michelin stars between them – will both open venues within its new Admiralty Arch hotel, near Whitehall and Trafalgar Square. Today, the hotel group has confirmed what those concepts will be: Coreus by Clare Smyth and Café Boulud.
Coreus will be a celebration of the UK’s coastline and the waters that surround it – a nod to its location in Admiralty Arch, the HQ of the First Sea Lord (the chief of the naval staff). Smyth will spotlight the abundance and diversity of UK seafood, with a focus on lesser-known species. Like at her flagship restaurant Core, in Notting Hill, Smyth will work closely with UK farmers and producers to inform her menu.
Smyth – the first woman to lead a three Michelin-starred restaurant in the UK – will also bring her Whiskey & Seaweed bar concept to the hotel. The original iteration of the bar, which takes its name from the cocktail inspired by her signature Potato and Roe dish, sits within Core in Notting Hill. Whisky from every distillery in the UK will be stocked at the bar, and it will boast comprehensive cocktail and wine lists.
Meanwhile, Boulud brings his all-day restaurant Café Boulud to the hotel’s rooftop. It marks the chef-restaurateur’s return to London, after the closure of his venue Bar Boulud in the Mandarin Oriental in Knightsbridge in 2021. Like his other restaurants around the world – including multiple in New York City and Florida, Singapore and the Middle East – it will lean French. While menus are yet to be confirmed, it will serve pastries at breakfast, an afternoon tea and Boulud’s takes on French classics. It’ll make the most of its rooftop location with an open south-facing terrace across some of the city’s best-known landmarks, including The Mall.
When the Waldorf Astoria takes over the Grade I-listed Admiralty Arch it will have 100 rooms and suites, as well as private residences, a ballroom and a spa. The building was originally commissioned by King Edward VII as a tribute to his mother Queen Victoria; as well as being the residence of the First Sea Lord, over the years it has also variously housed offices of the Cabinet Office and various governmental task forces, before being vacated during austerity and sold to a real estate developer.
Waldorf Astoria Admiralty Arch will open in spring 2026.
