Scene of a Dawn Ward shoving match Salmontini closes to makes way for a new restaurant by chef Nuno Goncalves; next door, hotel The Hari replaces its Pont Street restaurant too
Opened in September 2014, Salmontini was a restaurant in Belgravia’s Pont Street that was never going to be a hit. Aside from its weird name, it was the scene of a fish fuelled fight between the former pop singer Sinitta and the champagne loving, Prosecco hating Real Housewives of Cheshire “star” Dawn Ward in September 2015. Mrs Ward, a balayage haired woman with an attitude to social media usage similar to Donald Trump, was subsequently convicted of assault in June 2016.
On Thursday on Facebook, former 12 Hay Hill chef Nuno Goncalves announced that he is to take over Salmontini’s premises as chef-patron. He stated:
“1 Pont St. House will be my new venture, where you can expect a relaxed atmosphere, classy fine dining where the emphasis is on the best quality farm and urban farm to table produce, the season’s best foraged ingredients cooked with an array of old meets new cooking techniques”.
The double-fronted building, which was previously occupied by amongst others The Palm and Drones, stands next to The Hari (formerly the Belgraves London hotel). Its strangely decorated restaurant, Pont Street by Sophie Michell, closed recently too and will be replaced in February by an Italian bar and restaurant named Il Pampero.