The Man Behind the Curtain (restaurant)

Last updated

The Man Behind The Curtain
The Man Behind The Curtain logo.png
The Man Behind The Curtain.jpg
The Man Behind the Curtain (restaurant)
Restaurant information
Established2014
Owner(s) Michael O'Hare
Head chef Michael O'Hare
Food typeModernist cuisine
Dress codeJacket preferred; no sportswear
Rating Etoile Michelin-1.svg (Michelin Guide)
Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg AA Rosettes
Street address68-78 Vicar Lane
City Leeds
Postal/ZIP CodeLS1 7JH
CountryEngland
Seating capacity40 [1]
ReservationsYes
Website Official website

The Man Behind The Curtain was a restaurant in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, which was opened in 2014 by chef Michael O'Hare, before closing in 2023. The restaurant had a reputation for modern and often unusual food, with modern and artistic presentation. It was awarded a Michelin star in October 2015, and three AA Rosettes in 2016, following in the footsteps of three other Leeds restaurants to hold a Michelin star: Pool Court on the Calls (1996–2005); Rascasse on Water Lane (1997–2000); and Guellar (2002). [2]

Contents

Overview

O'Hare had previously worked as the head chef at The Blind Swine in York, but considered Leeds a more suitable location for high-end dining and opened The Man Behind The Curtain in 2014. [3] [4] The restaurant was located on Vicar Lane above Flannels clothes shop and took its name from a line in The Wizard of Oz - 'pay no attention to that man behind the curtain'. [1] [5] [6] After opening the restaurant without a name, O'Hare said: "I get a lot of people asking me if I'm the man behind the curtain. You can't stop it, but you can mock it." [7] During its tenure it was the only restaurant in Leeds which held a Michelin star. [8]

The restaurant seated up to forty people and was decorated in artwork by O'Hare's friend Schoph and featured sculptures by Gareth Griffiths. [7] [3] O'Hare described the food and ambience of the restaurant as not "particularly based on what I wanted, but on what I hated and didn’t want." [1]

After opening, The Man Behind The Curtain soon gained a reputation for very modern and often unusual dishes, including olives wrapped in edible cellophane, salt and vinegar ox cheek, and chocolate pudding and pork rinds. [5] The dishes also had imaginative names, such as 'The Insecurity of Postmen in Oakley Sunglasses' and 'Inception of a Spacecat in Black'. [7] O'Hare didn't consider himself to have been inspired by anyone, saying "I don’t think you have to say 'I am inspired by 'X'... I want things first and foremost to look great. Anyone [at this level] can make something taste nice." He was also keen not to draw comparisons to Noma having worked there under acclaimed chef René Redzepi, saying "it's not what we are doing here." The Man Behind The Curtain served a twelve-course dégustation menu, [6] with O'Hare describing a lot of food as "quite Spanish" because it is the style of food he enjoys eating. [1]

Closure

In October 2023, O'Hare closed The Man Behind the Curtain, and opened a new restaurant called Psycho Sandbar in early 2024. [9] [10]

Reception

Writing in The Guardian in 2015, Marina O'Loughlin said "there are items that jar" but "if a chef can put a silky foam of potato laced with puffed wild rice on top of an elaborate chocolate dessert and have you laughing out loud as you fight over it (turns out it’s scented like a salt and vinegar crisp), he’s doing something very right." [6] In a review for Great British Chefs, Gemma Harrison wrote, "it blew my mind – and I can’t wait to go back and have it blown all over again." [11] Time Out rated the restaurant 4 stars out of 5 in 2016 and said, although not cheap, "a destination restaurant that’s truly worth a visit." [12]

The restaurant was awarded a Michelin Star after just over one year of opening, [13] [14] [5] and awarded three AA Rosettes in September 2016. [15]

See also

Related Research Articles

As with any large town or city, food and drink has played an important role in the commerce and culture of Birmingham, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marco Pierre White</span> British chef and restaurateur

Marco Pierre White is a British chef, restaurateur, and television personality. In 1995, he became the youngest chef to be awarded three Michelin stars. He has trained chefs including Mario Batali, Shannon Bennett, Gordon Ramsay, Curtis Stone, Phil Howard and Stephen Terry. He has been dubbed "the first celebrity chef" and the enfant terrible of the UK restaurant scene.

Jason Atherton is an English chef and restaurateur. His flagship restaurant Pollen Street Social gained a Michelin Star in 2011, its opening year. He was the Executive Chef at Gordon Ramsay's Michelin starred Maze in London until 30 April 2010. In 2014 he co-hosted the Sky Living TV series My Kitchen Rules.

Anthony Flinn is a British chef now based in Leeds. After studying at Huddersfield Technical College, he worked at the Michelin-starred restaurant Lords of the Manor, in Gloucestershire, for two years. Moving on to Barcelona, despite not speaking a word of Spanish, he worked alongside Xavier Pellicer at the Michelin-starred Abac restaurant. From here he moved on to the famous El Bulli restaurant, where he worked for two years with Ferran Adrià.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Box Tree</span> Restaurant in Ilkley, West Yorkshire, England

The Box Tree is a restaurant located in Ilkley, West Yorkshire, England. It is owned by Yorkshire businessman Adam Frontal and the current executive chef Brayden Davies, who has worked at multiple Michelin star restaurants, has led the kitchen since early 2023, offers a new tasting menu on a monthly basis. The Box Tree was previously operated by chef Simon Gueller and his wife, Rena, from 2005 to late 2022. Under their management the restaurant had been redecorated, although elements from the original owners of the restaurant remained. Reception by food critics has improved over the years; the restaurant held a single Michelin star until 2019 and three AA rosettes. A sister company is also run by the chef, called Box Tree Events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gidleigh Park</span> Hotel and restaurant in Devon, England

Gidleigh Park is a 5-star hotel and restaurant located in Gidleigh, near Chagford, Devon, England. The restaurant currently holds 1 Michelin Star and three rosettes from The AA. The hotel belongs to Andrew Brownsword Hotels which was named AA Hotel Group of the Year 2017–18.

Rhodes Twenty Four was a Michelin-starred restaurant located in the City of London. Run by celebrity chef Gary Rhodes, the restaurant was located on the 24th floor of Tower 42, formerly known as the Natwest Tower and operated between 2003 and 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhodes W1</span> Restaurant in London, England

Rhodes W1 was a restaurant located in London, England. Opened in 2007, it gained a Michelin star within a year of opening in January 2008. It served European cuisine, and was one of two Rhodes restaurants in London to hold a Michelin star. It closed on 28 September 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Kitchin</span> British chef (born 1977)

Thomas William Kitchin is a Scottish chef and owner of The Kitchin, where he became Scotland's youngest winner of a Michelin star.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shaun Rankin</span>

Shaun Rankin is an English-born British chef, restaurateur, and television personality. He has been awarded one Michelin star for Bohemia restaurant in 2005. Rankin ran Ormer Mayfair in London until 2021. Shaun Rankin is chef-patron at the Michelin-starred restaurant at Grantley Hall, which opened in July 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Restaurant Gordon Ramsay</span> Restaurant in London, England

Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, also known as Gordon Ramsay at Royal Hospital Road, is the signature restaurant of the British celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay at Royal Hospital Road, in Chelsea, London. It opened in 1998 and was Ramsay's first solo restaurant.

Michael Bolster is an Irish head chef. He was the head chef of the Michelin starred restaurant The Commons Restaurant on St. Stephen's Green in Dublin, Ireland. He was responsible for retaining the star in 1995. The cooking style of Bolster is described as modern food with classical references, using speciality Irish ingredients enhanced by traditional French produce.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pétrus (restaurant)</span> Restaurant in London, England

Pétrus is a restaurant in London, which serves modern French cuisine. It is located in Kinnerton Street, Belgravia and is part of Gordon Ramsay restaurants owned by celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay's Gordon Ramsay Restaurants Ltd. It has held one Michelin star since 2011, and 3 AA Rosettes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hibiscus (restaurant)</span> Restaurant in London

Hibiscus was a London restaurant which was owned and run by French chef Claude Bosi. It was opened in 2000 in Ludlow, Shropshire, and won its first Michelin star within a year, and a second in the 2004 Guide. In July 2006, Bosi and his wife Claire announced that they were to sell the location in Ludlow and move closer to London. The property was sold to Alan Murchison, and Bosi purchased a new site on Maddox Street in London. The restaurant closed in 2016.

Yianni Papoutsis is the co-founder and former Creative Director of the Meat chain of restaurants. He previously worked at the English National Ballet as a production technician. The business started as one of the first street food trucks in the UK, the Meat Wagon, and after teaming with Scott Collins and opening a pop-up restaurant, they opened thirteen restaurants, including twelve in the UK and one in Singapore which closed. He is now a consultant in the hospitality and entertainment industry.

Michael O'Hare is a British chef from Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. He was chef-patron at The Man Behind The Curtain in Leeds, which was awarded a Michelin star in October 2015. He also ran The Rabbit in the Moon at the National Football Museum in Manchester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Black Swan, Oldstead</span> Restaurant in North Yorkshire, England

The Black Swan is a restaurant with rooms at Oldstead, in North Yorkshire, England which provides food, drink and accommodation. Its restaurant, run by chef Tommy Banks, has been awarded a Michelin Star and Four AA Rosettes. It was rated the best restaurant in the world in 2017 by TripAdvisor.

Peel's Restaurant is situated in Hampton Manor, Hampton-in-Arden. It currently holds one Michelin star and four AA Rosettes. Hampton Manor is a Grade II listed building. Originally the family home of Frederick Peel, son of Prime Minister Robert Peel, the Manor was acquired by hoteliers Derrick and Janet Hill in March 2008. Under the stewardship of their son, James, and daughter in law Fjona, today it runs as a Restaurant with Rooms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vineet Bhatia</span> British chef of Indian origin,restaurateur, author (born 1967)

Vineet Bhatia is an Indian chef, restaurateur, author, and media personality. He was the first Indian chef to be awarded a Michelin star. He opened two Rasoi restaurants, the first in Chelsea, London in 2004, and the second in Geneva, Switzerland, in 2008. Both restaurants received Michelin stars, in 2006 and 2009 respectively, making Bhatia the first and only chef of Indian origin to receive two Michelin stars. Currently, he has eleven restaurants, including his signature restaurant "KAMA by Vineet" in the dining hall in Harrods in London, and appears as a judge on Netflix show The Final Table and judge-host on MasterChef India. He has written two cookbooks, Rasoi: New Indian Kitchen and My Sweet Kitchen.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Menuwatch: The Man Behind The Curtain". thecaterer.com. 5 June 2015. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  2. ↑ Libraries, Leeds (16 September 2021). "How do you solve a problem like a Michelin Star?". The Secret Library | Leeds Libraries Heritage Blog. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  3. 1 2 Hughes, Mike. "The man behind the phenomenon". www.bqlive.co.uk. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  4. ↑ Pantry, Lindsay. "Men Behind the Curtain: Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs team up with Leeds chef Michael O'Hare". Yorkshire Evening Post. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 "Restaurant review: The Man Behind The Curtain". Yorkshire Evening Post. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 O'Loughlin, Marina (6 March 2015). "The Man Behind The Curtain, Leeds - restaurant review". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 "Six things you need to know about The Man Behind The Curtain". Yorkshire Evening Post. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  8. ↑ Behrens, David. "Michael steps from behind curtain to bring Michelin star to Leeds". Yorkshire Evening Post. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  9. ↑ "The Man Behind The Curtain: Leeds restaurant closes for Psycho Sandbar rebrand and hands back Michelin star".
  10. ↑ "Michael O'Hare to relaunch the Man Behind the..." The Caterer. 23 October 2023.
  11. ↑ Harrison, Gemma. "The Man Behind The Curtain review - Great British Chefs". Great British Chefs. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
  12. ↑ "The Man Behind the Curtain". Time Out Leeds. 26 May 2016. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
  13. ↑ Behrens, David (16 September 2015). "Michael steps from behind curtain to bring Michelin star to Leeds". Yorkshire Evening Post. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
  14. ↑ "Leeds restaurant The Man Behind The Curtain awarded Michelin star". Timeout.com. 9 September 2015. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
  15. ↑ Love, Laura (27 September 2016). "The Man Behind the Curtain: Eston chef's eatery awarded rosettes". gazettelive. Retrieved 14 October 2016.

53°47′53.7″N1°32′21.8″W / 53.798250°N 1.539389°W / 53.798250; -1.539389

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.