Florence Knight is putting the finishing touches on Lunette, the restaurant on the 11th floor of the new St Clement hotel on the Strand, which is widely expected to become one of London's most sought-after dining destinations. The chef, who left Clerkenwell's Sessions Arts Club in 2024, describes the project as a "deeply personal project."
A blank canvas with a view
The restaurant occupies a grand, expensive space with panoramic views over the Thames, from the Palace of Westminster to the Shard. "I fell in love with the site, it was a blank canvas," Knight told the Standard. "I came to this empty building site in a hard hat and wandered around. I thought, 'This is where I want to be.' It feels like the extension of an amazing home."
Lunette is the flagship restaurant at St Clement, joining the ground-floor Café Clement. The hotel is the first from Soho House founder Nick Jones since he left the company in 2022, and is part of the massive redevelopment of 180 Strand, which already includes two Michelin-starred Ikoyi, Toklas, and Corner Shop.
A hotel without the fuss
The multi-million-pound project was led by developer Mark Wadhwa, with his wife Alex Eagle and Sophie Hodges of Eagle + Hodges, reimagining a previously overlooked brutalist site. Jones has aimed to eliminate "the many things that could annoy you in a hotel." There are no formal check-ins or paper bills; guests are contacted via WhatsApp before arrival. Rooms start at £600, and amenities include a 25-metre swimming pool, gym, treatment rooms, and a bar with a 3am licence.
Knight insists Lunette will be relaxed and easygoing. "I like how calm it is up here. I think it feels really warm, with lovely views and a big open kitchen. There's an energy, already a buzz to it. The design is supposed to make the place feel homely — it's not a traditional restaurant in any sense."
Not a hotel restaurant
Knight is keen to distinguish Lunette from typical hotel dining. "There isn't a concept here. And, yes, hotel restaurants are often consistent and reliable. We're not trying to be that. We're trying to do something special, something with longevity. This is deeply personal. Like Ikoyi and Toklas, I want to have an identity."
The restaurant is scheduled to open at the end of September, alongside the hotel, though that could change. Knight, who has a husband and two children, was an early proponent of London's small plates trend, becoming head chef of Soho's Polpetto at age 25.
An evolving menu
Knight shared some dishes she's been developing: pomme soufflé with smoked eel, roe, and nasturtium flowers; milk custard with Cévennes onion sauce and baked petals with caviar; and slow-cooked pork loin with anchovies, cinsault sauce, creamed coco beans, fresh figs, fig mustard, and fig oil. "I'm trying to make everything as perfect as I can," she says. "It starts with the producer. People have been asking me about the food here for a while now — it's a jigsaw. It's just whatever I think works best in this space."
Knight has been spending nearly every day at St Clement. "I've been living here," she says. Her children sometimes join her during the day; on weekends, she might have a quick beer after service before heading home to Camden.
The restaurant itself is tranquil — an airy space of white walls, plush sofas, and communal tables. "Who has balance?" Knight asks. "It's the way of the world now. We're all in search of it." Lunette might yet bring a measure of it.
