The team behind much-loved Farringdon restaurant Cloth, are gearing up for another smash hit with their next restaurant, having taking on the legendary Simpson’s Tavern in the City. Open since 1757, Simpson’s is known as London’s oldest chop house, and was a favourite of William Thackeray and Charles Dickens back in the day. Although it’s been shuttered for the past couple of years, the Cloth team – Joe Haynes, Ben Butterworth, and Tom Hurst – are hard at work transforming the site for a mid-2026 opening as Cloth Cornhill (the Simpson’s name can no longer be used for legal reasons).
As you’d expect from such an old Grade II listed building, many of the original features, such as the wood panelled walls, bow windows, brass rails, fireplaces, and high-backed wooden seating booths, will be kept, while giving the place a much needed makeover to bring it up to date. Given how nice the original Cloth looks, the combination of the Cloth style with this historic building should be an absolute winner.
With the opening stil a few months away, there aren’t too many menu details available, but we can expect a continuation of Tom’s produce-led, modern British style from the original Cloth, with lots of new dishes plus chops, steaks and a couple of nods to Simpson’s tradition.
Simpson’s was always known for debaucherous wine-fuelled lunches and dinners, so wine importers Joe and Ben are well placed to ensure the restaurant remains a key part of City life. As with the original Cloth, a significant portion of the list will come from Joe and Ben’s own portfolio, with the remainder of the list sourced from a good couple of dozen of the UK’s best importers.
“We’re very excited to be taking on the stewardship of this beloved institution. The City has long missed the hubbub of Ball Court and we feel extremely privileged to bring it back to life,” says the Cloth team.
38 1/2 Cornhill, London EC3V 9DR
clothrestaurants.com
