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Martin Williams joins Antoine Melon and Gideon Lask to talk about creating restaurants people want to come back to, and the pressure of keeping them going.

The founder of M and CEO of The Evolv Collection tells us about putting his home on the line, returning to Gaucho and the lessons he took into Covid. We get into the reopening of Quaglino’s, what to keep and what to change when you inherit a much-loved restaurant, and why hospitality is part dinner party, part theatre.

There are strong opinions on restaurant brands that travel, the importance of a proper welcome and how to grow without losing a restaurant’s soul. Martin also takes on our fictional Under Pressure cards, from a chef walking out mid-service to a regular behaving badly.

The Evolv Collection: https://evolvcollection.com/

Quaglino’s: https://quaglinos-restaurant.co.uk/

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Zoë Paskin went back to London to help at The End for a month. She stayed for a decade.

The co-founder of Studio Paskin, behind The Palomar, The Barbary, Evelyn’s Table and The Blue Posts, joins Antoine Melon and Gideon Lask to talk about what makes a room come alive — and the work behind a great night out.

Zoë recalls returning to restaurant service at Hawksmoor, the trip to Jerusalem that turned a pop-up idea into The Palomar, and how music and counter dining bring guests into the action. We talk about working with her brother Layo, giving talented people room to grow, and what changes when you can no longer be at the door every night.

There’s Manchester’s restaurant energy, a surprisingly good meal on the Eurostar, and our fictional Under Pressure service: Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman arrive without a booking, the music divides the room and a guest challenges a £600 bottle of wine.

Warmth, instinct and the occasional difficult decision. A conversation about creating places people want to come back to.

Mentioned in the episode:

Studio Paskin — https://www.studiopaskin.com/

Eurostar Premier’s food and wine team — chefs Jeremy Chan and Jessica Préalpato, and head sommelier Honey Spencer: https://www.eurostar.com/uk-en/travel-info/eurostar-experience/food-on-board/eurostar-premier

VAT’s The Problem campaign and petition — https://www.vatstheproblem.co.uk/

Proloco, Manchester — https://www.proloco.uk/

Cocina Mexicana by Adriana Cavita — https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Cocina-Mexicana/Adriana-Cavita/9781788795531

Table Hopping by Dylan Jones — https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/dylan-jones-3/table-hopping/9780349000725/

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Antoine used to work for Des Gunewardena. So we start with the openings they remember rather differently — including Bluebird, which took time to become the London institution it is today.

Des joins Antoine Melon and Gideon Lask to talk about the work after opening night: rescuing a restaurant that has lost its way, knowing when a spectacular room is actually a sound business, and giving a place time to belong to its neighbourhood. He takes us from Quaglino’s extraordinary start and the reinvention of Guastavino’s in New York to Sir Terence Conran, D&D London and his new venture, D3 Collective.

At Olympia, Des wants Pillar Hall, Idalia and Pepperbird to become part of West London life. He also tells us what he learnt from working with Antoine, why an operator needs both commercial instinct and charm, and whom he would like us to invite next.

Then we put him Under Pressure with an imaginary Saturday night: a famous guest without a booking, a chef who walks out, a disputed £2,000 bill and a content creator filming other diners.

Explore Pillar Hall: https://www.pillarhall.co.uk/