Thomas Straker to take on the former Lucky Strike restaurant in New York

Thomas Straker has announced that he is opening a restaurant in New York.

In a message posted on Instagram, the London-based chef behind Straker's in Notting Hill, London, says he has 'secured the keys' to the former Lucky Strike restaurant on Grand Street in Soho following 'months of negotiations'.

Lucky Strike was owned by restaurateur Keith McNally for more than 30 years but closed in April 2020 at the height of the pandemic.

Last year, Straker ran a pop-up event in New York from October 22 to 26 at Ella Funt restaurant in the city's East Village, featuring Straker's signature dishes along with a selection of seasonal ingredients.

In July last year, the chef, who has more than two million followers on both Instagram and TikTok, revealed plans to open a second London restaurant near his eponymous Notting Hill venue.