One of the UK’s oldest restaurants has finally revealed when diners will be welcomed back inside – four years after its sudden closure.
The historic Simpson’s Tavern site, which dates back to 1757, will return under a new name: Cloth Cornhill.
Hidden in Ball Court, off Cornhill in the City of London, the restaurant was once a favourite of literary giants Charles Dickens and William Makepeace Thackeray.
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It became famous for its wood-panelled dining rooms, hearty British cooking and lengthy, wine-fuelled city lunches.
But the Grade II-listed institution closed in 2022 amid a dispute over pandemic-era rent arrears.
Now it’s set to reopen on Thursday, 1 October, as reported by What’s The Jam.
The closure sparked a crowdfunding appeal and a campaign to protect the building, which was subsequently designated an Asset of Community Value.
Plans to revive the site were first announced in November 2025, when the team behind Farringdon restaurant Cloth revealed they had taken it over.
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An opening was initially expected in the middle of 2026, but no firm date had been provided until now.
Joe Haynes, Ben Butterworth and chef Tom Hurst have spent the past year restoring the 269-year-old institution “from top to bottom”.
Its wood-panelled walls, bow windows, original tiles, fireplaces, old photographs and high-backed wooden booths have all been retained.
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Original brass rails once used by diners to hang their top hats and overcoats have also survived.
The new venue will contain a pub on the ground floor, divided between the standing room-only Amy’s Bar and the former grill room, which will seat 40 people.
Bar snacks will include Coronation crab beignets, sausage pie with Oxford sauce, Welsh rarebit and pig’s head brioche with apple mustard.
Upstairs, the main restaurant will be spread across two historic dining rooms and include an eight-seat counter.
The menu will focus on modern British cooking, sharing steaks and chops while preserving several links to Simpson’s past.
A Cornhill sausage served with beer mustard has been recreated using a Simpson’s recipe book from the 1940s discovered during the renovation.
A lunchtime set menu will cost £24 for two courses or £29 for three from Monday to Thursday.
Friday lunches will feature a £29 steak special with chips, salad and pudding.
The wine list will include vintage bottles, magnums and rare finds, including port and Madeira dating from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Drinkers will even be able to order rotating vintage cocktails, including a Negroni made using spirits from the 1970s – the decade in which Simpson’s interiors were last updated.
The Cloth team said: “We’ve worked extremely hard over the past year, preserving all 269 years of this beloved institution’s history, whilst pouring new life into it.
“We can’t wait to show everyone the restored space in all its glory.
“The City has long missed the hubbub of Ball Court, and we feel extremely privileged to bring it back to life.”
Cloth Cornhill, at 38½ Cornhill, will open Monday to Friday.
Its pub will trade from 11am until 11pm, while the restaurant will serve lunch between noon and 3pm and dinner from 6pm until 11pm.
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