London culinary institution Simpson’s in the Strand has reopened thanks to Jeremy King Restaurants. Previously shuttered in March 2020, the restaurant returns to celebrate its layered cultural heritage across a design by Studio Shayne Brady that references its legacy as the original House of Chess and a hub for theater, literature, and politics. “We felt our role wasn’t to reinvent it, but to honor and protect what was there,” says Studio Shayne Brady founder and creative director Shayne Brady. “The design is really about a careful, considered restoration—treating it as the grand dame it is, and ensuring its legacy is preserved for generations to come.”

Two restaurants, two bars, and a small private ballroom span the Grade II Listed building at 100 Strand. Conceived as a quintessential English dining room, the Grand Divan anchors the ground floor with restored Edwardian interiors that include original chandeliers as well as timber panels, deep red velvet and leather upholstery, and hardwood floors across a new convivial layout. Upstairs, Romano’s evokes a more relaxed ambiance akin to both an all-day grand café and a 21st century artistic salon. Faux marble columns, Wedgwood-inspired friezes, green leather upholstery, fresh green accents, and bright mirroring punctuate the restaurant along with checkerboard carpeting and marquetry tabletops.

Traditional cocktail concept Simpson’s Bar also occupies the upper level, offering a cozy and elegant Art Deco retreat in contrast to the subterranean speakeasy Nellie’s. Decadence and flamboyance are embodied through velvet animal prints, dark burgundy leather, oxblood wall panels, and a life-sized portrait of opera diva Dame Nellie Melba. Rounding out the address is the private Assembly Room, which is adorned with an opulent Regency style accentuated by sophisticated lighting.