Irish chef Richard Corrigan has made London his home, but his heart remains split between Muswell Hill and his country retreat in County Cavan. From his first job in a Knightsbridge hotel kitchen to spending £12,000 on a vintage watch on Bond Street, the restaurateur has spent decades building a life in the capital.
The chef, behind some of London's best-known restaurants, including Bentley's and Corrigan's Mayfair, shares his favourite spots in the city, the meal that changed his career and why he thinks everyone should be able to travel around London for free.
Home and Early Days
Home is Muswell Hill, but he also spends time at his country house, Virginia Park Lodge, in Cavan, Ireland. When staying at a hotel, he prefers Claridge's, which he describes as very friendly and welcoming, unlike big hotels that can be intimidating.
His first flat was in Crouch End, a simple one-bed box-room flat that he paid through the nose for. His first job in London was at the Park Tower in Knightsbridge, a typical hotel kitchen that was not as rough as many kitchens back then, where staff could go home at 2am and the head chef taught him a lot.
Memorable Meals and Extravagance
For a first date, he recommends The French House, upstairs, because it is a small dining room where you get to know a person very quickly. The best meal he has ever had was at Le Gavroche, which he took his wife to 40 years ago when they had no money, taking the Tube in and the night bus back. He spent everything he had on that meal, which inspired him and taught him so much.
His biggest extravagance was walking down Bond Street on his 50th birthday and seeing a second-hand Breguet watch, hardly worn, which he spent £12,000 on.
London Life and Favourites
If he were Mayor for the day, he would provide free transport for everyone, to get people into the city centre and incentivise them. He relates to Dick Whittington, who came to London thinking the streets were paved with gold. The best thing a cabbie has ever said to him was asking where his tip was after spending £120.
He once had a run-in with a London police officer while doing 40mph in a 20mph zone on his scooter. He used to go to the Groucho, the Colony Room Club and Gerry's to let his hair down. His London secret is sitting near Alexandra Palace in the summertime with his family.
Work and Inspirations
His restaurants keep him busy, including Bentley's, Corrigan's Mayfair and Daffodil Mulligan. His hero is Albert Roux, a great chef. He collects books and is sentimental about Adrian Gill's book, Pour Me: A Life, because Gill's famous phrase "run, don't walk" saved his restaurant Lindsay House when it was a week away from closing.
His favourite work of art is a Stubbs painting of a horse on the back wall of the National Gallery. The last thing he googled was 18th-century cheese pots, and the last thing he cooked was two pheasant breasts with mashed potato and cabbage. He cannot live without Maldon sea salt and Colman's English mustard. His favourite shop is Audio Gold, a vintage record store in Muswell Hill. On spice bags, he says they were invented for people who don't enjoy anything in their life, adding he would rather pour gasoline down his throat.
