It has been over six years since Tony Fleming took over the kitchen at Angler. Having worked with Marco Pierre White at the Oak Room and Richard Neat at the Oxo Tower before that, Tony took the reins at the South Place Hotel and made the high-rise restaurant into a big name in the London scene, earning a Michelin star within twelve months. Whatever you may feel about Michelin, that star legitimised Angler as the real deal. ‘It took things to another level,’ says Tony. ‘Our business, our staffing, our profile – everything. It made the restaurant.’
These days, Tony’s relationship with Michelin is a little different. He has since left Angler to focus on a new project – the recently renovated five-star Holborn hotel L’Oscar, and the attached Baptist Grill restaurant. He admits that there’s a slight feeling of ‘been there, done that’ in regards to chasing another Michelin star, but in the widely varying discourse over the relevance of the Michelin Guide in today’s industry, Tony is firmly in favour of the little red book. ‘A lot of people badmouth Michelin,’ he says. ‘They say it’s old fashioned, in the past – I don’t agree with that. I think it still does a lot for the industry. I think it pushes chefs, it makes good restaurants open, it raises the profile of London and it raises the profile of food. I think Michelin is as relevant as it's ever been, to be honest, and a lot of people don't agree with that.
‘That said, there are so many other things that are much more important to this restaurant and this hotel than having a Michelin star,’ he continues. ‘We need to be busy. We need to make money. We want to make the best food we can possibly make, and for people to enjoy coming here.’