The Food Interviews Series: Julian O’Neill of The Perfectionists’ Café

We were fortunate to have the opportunity to sit down with the head chef of The Perfectionists’ Café, Julian O’Neill, who has been involved since the beginning of the project. Having learned his trade in the kitchens of the Roux brothers and Nico Ladenis, O’Neill has had a wide ranging-career including being the head chef at Bank restaurant and the executive chef at The Wolsley for five years.

After taking on the job in secret in 2013, as the restaurant hadn’t been formally announced, chef O’Neill undertook ten months of research developing the dishes that were to become the core of the restaurant’s offering. Whether that be travelling to Naples to sample dozens of pizzas and find the perfect dough, or searching for the finest smoked salmon supplier in Stoke Newington, no effort was spared.

As it may be expected from someone who has ended up working with Heston Blumenthal, his passion for everything food is immediately obvious, and he was genuinely enthused and excited by not only what they had already achieved, but what they hoped for moving forwards.