Martin Kuczmarski has opened a new American/Italian-inspired restaurant called Chelsea Counter just a couple of minutes’ walk from Martino’s, the hit restaurant he opened in Sloane Square a year ago.
The move mirrors his modus operandi in Mayfair, where Martin opened the Dover in Dover Street and followed up with Dover Street Counter a couple of doors away. And again, he has launched a new venue without any pre-publicity, relying instead on shock value and word-of-mouth to create an impact.
In the Harden’s London Restaurants 2027 guide, published this week, all three achieved the rare maximum score of 5/5 for ambience, with Martino’s hailed as an “instant classic“, while their “elevated homely Italian/American food” also wins strong ratings. The newspaper critics were equally impressed.
Chelsea Counter has taken over the former premises of fusion restaurant Meat The Fish at 39 Cadogan Gardens. Like its Mayfair counterpart, takes its specific inspiration from late-1950s Los Angeles, with a menu including San Marzano tomato salsa, a four-cheese toastie, a cheeseburger, and spaghetti all’assassina.
A former chief operating officer at Soho House, Martin has now opened four restaurants in just on three years through his company Difficult Name, all designed with the idea of making guests feel good within five seconds of arriving – even before staff have welcomed them in. He is reportedly planning a next opening in Soho.