THE MASTER OF MINIMALISM

Even in London’s frenzied dining scene, few openings have ever been as buzzed about as Ollie Dabbous’ first restaurant, launched in 2012 on such a tight budget that he had to bring pots and pans from home.

In a spartan, central London space that one reviewer noted looked like a car park, Dabbous’ fresh, pared-back dishes had critics salivating into their sourdough-brown paper bags; the London Evening Standard’s Fay Maschler, the hard-to-please grande dame of London restaurant critics, gave it a full five stars, something she’d done only a handful of times.

A Michelin star followed eight months