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Neighbourhood restaurant willows is to open its second site in Chelsea this November, expanding from its original Clapham restaurant.
Founded by school friends Billy Bolton and Rebecca Howes, willows first opened in Clapham in 2022, built around relaxed service and its smörgåsbord-style approach to dining.
Bolton and Howes have been friends since they were 12 and developed an interest in hospitality through hosting dinner parties before later working together in the London restaurant industry.
The new restaurant will be located at Duke of York Square, off the King’s Road and adjacent to the Saatchi Gallery.
Spanning two floors, it will accommodate up to 100 guests and include a courtyard for outdoor dining.
The venue will open in two stages, with the ground floor launching first and offering the full willows menu across a combination of counter and table seating.
The first floor is scheduled to open in early 2027 as an intimate wine bar, serving wines by the glass, carafe and bottle alongside a bar snack menu. The space will also be available for private events.
The ground-floor restaurant will operate separate breakfast, lunch and evening menus.
Breakfast, served until 1pm, and lunch, available until 4.30pm, will follow the restaurant’s established smörgåsbord format, allowing diners to build a board by selecting three, four or five dishes.
Breakfast options will include Banana Bread with Clementine Mascarpone, Compote & White Chocolate Crumb alongside Scrambled Tofu, Seasonal Kimchi & Creamed Greens.
Lunch dishes will include Seasonal Leaves, Citrus, Capers & Cherry Molasses and Miso Squash, Tamarind Tahini, Za’atar & Pumpkin Seeds.
The evening menu, served until 10pm, will move to small, medium and larger sharing dishes.
These will include Celeriac Smoked Cheddar Croquettes, Mushroom Pâté with Toasted Sesame and Rib-Eye with Cafe Au Lait & Wild Mushroom.
As at the Clapham restaurant, dishes will be prepared in-house using seasonal ingredients sourced from suppliers selected by the team.
The drinks menu will include breakfast cocktails such as the Chai Espresso Martini and Bloody Sailor, alongside the Lemon Dill Martini and Jalapeño Kiwi Margarita.
Wine will be available by the glass, carafe and bottle, alongside changing seasonal wine flights.
The Chelsea restaurant has been designed in collaboration with Emma Webster, with interiors using an earth-toned palette.
The founders said: “We’re so excited to be opening our doors and bringing our neighbourhood restaurant to the area. For us, it’s about creating a fresh, welcoming space for the local community, built on care – from the food we serve and the suppliers we work with, to the team we’re building around us. As an independent, female and LGBTQ+ owned business, we’re proud to show what’s possible when you create something with real personality and purpose. We’re passionate about using the best seasonal ingredients we can find and working with brilliant suppliers to turn them into food that is simple, delicious and made to be enjoyed. But ultimately, it’s the people that make a restaurant. We’re excited to get stuck into the humdrum of service, meet new faces, welcome familiar ones, and build relationships with the team who will bring the restaurant to life.”
The opening will give willows a second London neighbourhood alongside its existing Clapham restaurant, with the upstairs wine bar adding a further element to the concept in 2027.
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