Details of Des Gunewardena’s Royal Exchange venue unveiled

Details of former D&D London CEO Des Gunewardena’s latest venture at The Royal Exchange in the City of London have been unveiled.

The venue will comprise of two hospitality concepts, Engel and Jang, and will occupy 6,500 sq ft of space on the north, south, and east mezzanines of the scheme’s central courtyard, Restaurant Online reports.

The project is Gunewardena’s first since his departure from D&D.

Occupying the north and east mezzanines, Engel will be a 1920s Berlin-inspired cocktail bar. There will also be an adjoining performance space – Engel Live – which will host live cabaret performances and be available for private hire.

Meanwhile, Korean and Japanese-inspired restaurant Jang will occupy the south mezzanine, and will be led by chef Dana Choi, who has worked most recently as executive chef at Seoul Bird.

Des Gunawardena said: “We’re excited about Engel and Jang bringing something new and different to The Royal Exchange with their unique approach to design, dining, and entertainment.

“Engel is very much a venue for today but inspired by the spirit of 1920s Berlin. Jang will offer a more intimate dining experience that, at its heart, celebrates Korean cuisine. We hope, through Jang, that Korean cuisine will become more widely enjoyed and appreciated in London.”

The two concepts are the first to open this year under Gunawardena’s newly-launched hospitality company D3 Collective. Another restaurant is set to open later this year at Canary Wharf.

Bruce Gillingham Pollard advised Ardent UK, whilst Gillingham Bell represented Des Gunewardena.