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Dominique Ansel Treehouse Bistro & Bakery Opens this February

Chef Dominique Ansel, named World’s Best Pastry Chef by the World’s 50 Best Awards, is thrilled to announce the opening of Dominique Ansel Treehouse, a new bistro and bakery in London’s Covent Garden this February.

Set within a stunning two-storey space the modern treehouse design is inspired by exploration and imagination. The ground floor will comprise a takeaway bakery boutique offering plenty of desserts and pastries, classic French viennoiserie and tarts, while the cosy seated bistro will be located in the “treetop canopy” on the upper floor.

Located on quaint Floral Street, this completely new concept from Chef Dominique offers a menu that celebrates and showcases the pastry foundations and artisanal techniques that pastry chefs do best; from flaky puff pastry to delicate handmade pasta, short crusts for pies and tarts, fresh-baked breads, and more including a sourdough made using a levain first started by Chef Dominique in his New York Bakery 8 years ago, allowing him to bring a small piece of home to his new home in London.

Chef Dominique looked to the pastry kitchen and the techniques that he and his fellow pastry chefs have honed and worked on perfecting for years, and how that could translate into a bistro setting. It’s these building blocks of pastry that set the foundation for Dominique Ansel Treehouse.

“Sometimes, the very best part of an apple pie is the crust. When we were conceptualizing the idea for Dominique Ansel Treehouse, I thought about how in a traditional restaurant setting, the pastry department typically works on all the different doughs on the menu, even from a savoury perspective. I’m excited to create a new menu that celebrates these pastry foundations and French techniques, in a casual bistro café with simple fresh ingredients that stay true to the classics,” says Chef Dominique.

Editor’s Notes

Layout

On the ground floor, guests on-the-go will be greeted with a takeaway bakery counter filled with beautiful pastries and desserts, and handmade French viennoiserie like flaky croissants and Chef Dominique signature DKA (Dominique’s Kouign Amann, similar to a caramelized croissant and the best-seller in each of his shops around the world). A selection of tarts made fresh daily will also be available.

The Design

Dominique Ansel Treehouse’s lofty two-storey space features cosy seating throughout both the ground floor and upper level, with the majority of the bistro’s seating located upstairs in the treetop “canopy.” Guests will find the “tree trunk” at the center of the ground floor space, where a bakery counter welcomes guests with viennoiserie, pastries, and desserts for takeaway and also to enjoy to stay if they wish.

The modern design is inspired by a grown-up treehouse, lined with blonde and warm woods throughout, cosy seating nooks and casual café tables, and sunken wooden booths set into the ground, creating a warm and inviting space for a casual meal.

How the bistro will work

As guests are seated, they’ll be welcomed with a choice of housemade bread to start from garlicky olive oil focaccia, to buttery brioche, Carta di Musica.

The Menu

The à la carte menu features a selection of small and large plates, each showcasing individual pastry-driven techniques in their preparation and presentation. Think flaky puff pastry for a wild mushroom and confit chicken vol au vent, a roasted venison pithivier, and a hearty tomato soup en croûte; delicately handmade pastas like bonbon-shaped caramelle filled with ricotta and cashews or fluffy hand-mixed gnocchi with creamy Comté sauce; and baked mussels topped with homemade garlic parsley butter breadcrumbs.

Dessert

Dessert will feature an assortment of larger-format specialties to be shared with the table, from a classic apple tarte tatin, crème caramel, and more. As well as a bakery boutique offering plenty of desserts and pastries, classic French viennoiserie and tarts.

Wine

A boutique selection of wines on tap round out the dining experience.

Why no Cronut®?

Perhaps most well known for his creation of the Cronut®, the croissant-doughnut hybrid pastry that continues to draw lines each morning at his shops around the world, Chef Dominique has decided not to bring his signature pastry to the Dominique Ansel Treehouse menu. Instead, this marks the opportunity for Chef Dominique to create something entirely new, to showcase those classic pastry techniques in a creative savoury interpretation, set within in a casual bistro setting.

Address

Dominique Ansel Treehouse
24 Floral Street
Covent Garden
London WC2E 9DP, UK

Website

DominiqueAnselTreehouse.com

Reservations

Limited reservations will be open for seatings starting February 7th onwards. Visit the website for details.

Social Media

Instagram: @DominiqueAnselTreehouse
Facebook: DominiqueAnselTreehouse
Twitter: @DATreehouseUK

About Dominique Ansel

James Beard Award-winning Pastry Chef Dominique Ansel has shaken up the pastry world with innovation and creativity at the heart of his work. As Chef/Owner of eponymous bakeries in New York, London, and Los Angeles, Chef Dominique is responsible for creating some of the most fêted pastries in the world, including: the Cronut® (named one of TIME magazine’s “25 Best inventions of 2013”), The Cookie Shot, Frozen S’more, Blossoming Hot Chocolate, and many more. For his prolific creativity, he was named the World’s Best Pastry Chef in 2017 by the World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards. Food & Wine has called him a “Culinary Van Gogh” while the New York Post coined him “the Willy Wonka of New York.” He has also been bestowed the prestigious l’Ordre du Mérite Agricole, France’s second highest honour. Prior to opening his own shop, Dominique served as the Executive Pastry Chef for restaurant Daniel, when the team earned its coveted third Michelin star and a four-star review from The New York Times. He opened his first shop in 2011 with just four employees. His newest shop, 當文歷by Dominique Ansel, will open Hong Kong in January 2020. A forthcoming new bistro concept, Dominique Ansel Treehouse, will launch in London’s Covent Garden in February 2020. For more information, visit DominiqueAnsel.com and follow Chef Dominique on Instagram at @DominiqueAnsel.