Chef Sally Abé’s eagerly anticipated new restaurant will open on Thursday 1 July at the Conrad London St James. As one of the Capital’s most talented and awarded chefs, Sally’s impact on the London food scene is about to reach new heights at The Pem.
The menu at The Pem displays an elevated style of the food that Sally has become renowned for; it’s more refined, more considered, and more sophisticated – yet still retains the fun and liveliness that Abé’s guests have come to know and love.
Abé will be building on the foundations of historic British cuisine and celebrating flavours and ingredients that are familiar and much-loved but interpreting them in her own way.
She will be working with long-standing trusted suppliers when it comes to fresh produce, meat, and fish; people who she knows attach the same importance to quality and sustainability as she does, and who support smaller producers and maintain traditional methods.
Abé said, “I have the freedom to serve the food I’ve always wanted to cook. It’s me on a plate. I’m taking classic combinations and really making them my own, like steak and oyster, cheese and onion – I won’t be messing with the framework but trying to put a new spin on them without creating challenging or modernist dishes.
'I want to bring a sense of familiarity and transfer those flavours to high-end restaurant dining. I’ve also put a lot of emphasis on the desserts, too many people miss out on the last course when they eat out and I’ve never really understood that, I love them!”
Abé’s favourite dishes are included on her first menu, designed to use the best of great British summer produce which offers so many wonderful ingredients. Guests can expect the likes of 'Poached Native lobster, shellfish cream, heritage tomatoes and sweet olive’, a spectacular ‘Roasted John Dory, with brassicas, lemon, sauce Choron’, and ‘Black Forest Gateau, chocolate curls, English cherry ripple ice cream’.
The restaurant name is inspired by suffragette Emily Wilding Davison, whose family used the pet name ‘Pem’ for her, and celebrates generations of pioneering women leading from the front which is reflected in Abé’s choice of senior team.
She has appointed the emerging talent of Laetizia Keating as the restaurant’s Head Chef. Laetizia has previously worked with Sally at the Harwood Arms, and before that at some of the world’s best restaurants such as Benu and Mirazur.
Having met through the London dining scene, Abé has appointed Emma Underwood as The Pem’s General Manager (having previously been GM at Darby’s) because of her exceptional operational abilities and her talent to make guests feel special.
Beverly Payne, General Manager at Conrad London St James, said, “The Pem is the restaurant I’ve always wanted to see in the hotel, it’s glamourous and elegant. It’s very connected to the local area, and it’s going to be a magnet for those who already love Sally’s flair, and for everyone who wants to be excited by her imaginative food.
'Sally and I share the same work ethic and instincts when it comes to delivering a really top-class experience. We both very much lead from the front to create excellence, strong teams, and inspiration for a new generation of chefs and hospitality professionals.”
The wine list offers highly sought-after fine wines and eclectic wines from independent producers. The list has been curated by Sommelier and Wine Consultant Emily Harman of VinaLupa. VinaLupa is a wine consultancy that curates wine lists and training programs for top hotels and restaurants in London, Berlin and USA.
The Pem has been thoughtfully constructed with a rosy-hued art deco inspired design, with a spectacular and spacious main dining room seating 70, and a separate private dining room for up to 24 guests.
The Conrad London St James, located in one of London’s most symbolic boroughs, is within Constitutional London, and is establishing Westminster as the emerging new location for exceptional food and drink.
The hotel announced a significant investment ahead of lockdown last year, in the opening of four new food and drink concepts, all operating under Abé’s guidance. The Blue Boar Pub opened on 17 May, and as well as The Pem, July will see the addition of the hotel’s first cocktail bar, The Hedgerow, where diners can enjoy an aperitivo or aperitif.
Abé, who is Consultant Chef at Conrad London St James, was previously Head Chef at the Michelin-starred Harwood Arms in Fulham and has built a highly successful career, including being named as ‘Chef to Watch’ in the National Restaurant Awards 2019.
Abé was awarded Chef of the Year in the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs 2020 and has been nominated for the GQ Chef of the Year award this year.