British-Filipino Chef Luke Selby & Family Takeover Evelyn’s Table This Winter

Evelyn’s Table has announced that chef Luke Selby alongside his brothers, Nat and Theo Selby, will be heading up the restaurant from 27 October 2020. Located in the original beer cellar of The Blue Posts, on London’s Rupert Street, Evelyn’s Table is an intimate 10-seat chef’s counter, which will serve a prix fixe menu focused on British ingredients using French and Japanese technique. Hosting only two sittings at 6pm and 8pm, Tuesday through to Saturday, guests will be invited to arrive before their reservation for a pre-dinner drink at The Mulwray, the first floor wine bar run by sommelier Honey Spencer.

With an English father and Filipino mother, Luke was born in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and relocated to Brighton as a young child, spending his formative years surrounded by the rolling hills of West Sussex. The Selby brothers worked together at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons at the start of their careers. Luke, the eldest, following 6 years with Raymond Blanc went on to work at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay under Clare Smyth. In 2016 he joined Ollie Dabbous, rising to Head Chef at Dabbous London, before winning the Roux Scholarship which enabled him to live in Japan and work for three Michelin starred Restaurant Nihonryori Ryugin in Tokyo. Upon his return Luke collaborated again with Ollie, helping to create HIDE where he was Head Chef of HIDE Above when the restaurant was awarded a Michelin Star, and where his brothers later joined as Sous Chefs.

This experience will come into the fore with the menu at Evelyn’s Table, as Luke explains: “At Evelyn’s Table I hope to be able to show not only what I have learnt from my formative training but also the ethos and essence of Japanese and French cooking. Whether that be through the Japanese technique of infusion to create a clarity of flavours or the super classic skill of reduction to concentrate flavours as in French cookery. My time in Japan at Restaurant Nihonryori Ryugin had a particular impact on me, I was captivated by the care and approach to food and nature the Japanese have, the respect for ingredients.”

He continues: “I intend to translate this attitude at Evelyn’s Table by working with and championing British produce. This is something we can do very uniquely at Evelyn’s now it is just me and my brothers in the kitchen, we can create a personal experience for our guests and work with small British suppliers that are specialist in what they do – such as line caught mackerel from the day boats of Devon, venison from Aynhone Park Estate and even elements that we have foraged ourselves from trips to Yorkshire and West Sussex.”

Joining Luke and his brothers at Evelyn’s Table will be Honey Spencer who alongside running the atmospheric wine bar The Mulwray, serving an array of fine and natural wines, has curated a small carefully selected wine list at Evelyn’s Table. Drawing on her experience from running acclaimed wine bars around the world such as Den Vandrette in Copenhagen, Sager + Wilde in London and 10 William Street in Sydney, the young sommelier has decided on a natural leaning wine list from new and exciting regions to compliment Luke’s menu.

Evelyn’s Table with Luke, Nat and Theo Selby will open on 27 October 2020.