Angela Hartnett OBE has confirmed that she is stepping back from her day-to-day head chef responsibilities at Murano, the Michelin-starred Italian restaurant she has helmed in Mayfair since 2008. The move will allow Hartnett to focus on the continued development of the Café Murano group and on a new project she has indicated she expects to announce before the end of 2026.
Murano will continue to operate without interruption under a senior chef who has been part of the restaurant's kitchen team for several years and who Hartnett describes as more than ready for the role. The restaurant's Michelin star — held continuously since 2011 — and its broader culinary identity are expected to be maintained under the transition.
"Murano has an extraordinary team and has had for a long time," Hartnett said. "The restaurant doesn't need me standing in the kitchen every service to be Murano. It needs me to protect what it is — and I can do that differently now."
Café Murano's Next Phase
The Café Murano group — which operates three sites in London across St James's, Covent Garden and Bermondsey — is understood to be in active discussions over a fourth location. Hartnett has spoken publicly about wanting to take the Café Murano format outside London for some time, and the new project she has referenced is believed by those familiar with her plans to involve a regional site rather than a further London opening.
The Café Murano format is deliberately less formal than Murano itself — a pasta and Italian small plates proposition at a lower price point that has sustained strong commercial performance since the first site opened in 2013. Its accessibility makes it a more natural candidate for regional expansion than the flagship.
What Comes Next
Hartnett has declined to give details of the new project beyond confirming it is in active development. She has described it as "something different" from both Murano and Café Murano and suggested it reflects interests she has developed over the past several years but has not yet had space to pursue while managing the full demands of the Murano kitchen.
The project is expected to be announced formally in the autumn. In the meantime, Hartnett will remain closely involved with Murano in a chef-patron capacity, making her presence felt in the menu direction and the restaurant's culture without managing the daily kitchen operation she is handing over.
Murano has been one of the defining Italian fine dining restaurants in London for nearly two decades. Hartnett's decision to evolve her role rather than step away entirely will be watched closely by operators and chefs across the industry who face similar questions about how to sustain and grow a multi-site business without being personally anchored to any single kitchen.