James Knappett to open Bubbledogs next week

James Knappett (pictured with his wife, Sandia Chang), former head chef at Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley, is opening his first solo venture Bubbledogs next week.

Knappett, who left Marcus Wareing last autumn, is opening the new restaurant - specialising in hot dogs and Champagne - together with Chang on 29 August.

The restaurant will be divided into two distinct areas: Bubbledogs, which will serve Grower Champagne and sparkling wine next to a menu of 10 different types of hotdogs; and the Kitchen Table for intimate meals for up to 19 guests, which will open on 18 September.

Bubbledogs hotdogs will include the BLT dog, wrapped in bacon and served with truffle mayonnaise and caramelized lettuce; the Jose dog with guacamole, sour cream, salsa and jalapenos; and a regularly changing guest chef's special. Prices will start at £6.

The wine list will feature Grower Champagne and sparkling wines by lesser-known producers and regions available by the glass (from £6) and the bottle (£32).

The restaurant's interiors will incorporate an anaglypta ceiling, original reconditioned flooring, a copper-topped bar, exposed brick and Georgian wire windows.

Meanwhile the Kitchen Table will showcase Knappett's contemporary European cooking, with a lunchtime tasting menu priced £65 and a dinner menu at £80. A three-course lunch menu will be available at £29. Sample dishes will include beetroot, fennel and garlic scapes; chicken skin, grilled onion and burrata milk; beef, dead nettle and carrot; and hay, strawberry, malt and sweet cicely.

Knappett, who counts multi-Michelin-starred restaurants including Per Se in New York and Noma in Copenhagen on his CV, joined Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley as sous chef in September 2009 and was promoted to the role of head chef following the departure of Alyn Williams, who now runs his own restaurant at the Westbury hotel. He previously worked at Rick Stein's Seafood Restaurant in Padstow, Cornwall, as well as Restaurant Gordon Ramsay and under Wareing at Pétrus.

Chang most recently worked at Simon Rogan's Roganic.

Ex-Ramsay chef James Durrant takes over the Plugh Inn in Hampshire >>

Former Marcus Wareing chef James Knappett joins the Ledbury >>

By Kerstin Kühn

E-mail your comments to Kerstin Kühn here.

If you have something to say on this story or anything else join the debate at Table Talk - Caterer's new networking forum. Go to www.catererandhotelkeeper.com/tabletalk

Catererandhotelkeeper.com jobs

Looking for a new job? Find your next job here with Catererandhotelkeeper.com jobs