Humo means smoke. Igni, from the Latin ignis, means fire. The Mayfair restaurant at 12 St George Street has changed its name by one element, and on 22 April 2026 it reopened under a chef with one of the better records in town: Theo Clench.
A chef who gets restaurants noticed
Clench has cooked at The Clove Club, and Bonhams, Portland, Akoko and Cycene, his most recent big jobs, each earned Michelin recognition on his watch. At Cycene in Shoreditch he was head chef, and it was noticed within five months of opening. He left in 2024, consulted for Creative Restaurant Group, the company behind SUMI and Endo at the Rotunda, and Igni is what that consultancy turned into. The sommelier, Alessio Ragusini, comes from La Dame de Pic.
The restaurant has changed its name by one element, which is about as close as London gets to a joke in a press release.
The site has form. Humo opened in 2023 under Miller Prada, cooking Japanese-inflected dishes on a big wood grill, and then passed through Robbie Jameson's hands. The room, and the grill, now work for Clench, who has said his cooking is more delicate than the big smoky cuts that Humo was built for.
The room
It is discreet outside, with a gentlemen's club air, and narrow within, between two townhouses, with low velvet seating, dark wood, navy seats and an open kitchen at its heart. The counter faces the fire and suits pairs, though dress lightly, as the heat is real. It is also the best way to watch young cooks work over charcoal. For a quieter meal, ask for one of the two-person booths. Downstairs, the chef's table runs its own tasting menu on Thursdays and Fridays.
What to order
Start with the potato bun made with Yukon Gold potatoes, shaped like a Taiwanese bao. It is pillowy and piping hot, with refills available if you ask. It arrives with a tomato broth and spiced whipped butter, or burnt white truffle and wagyu fat, depending on the night. The oyster is roasted in the coals in its shell, soft as butter, with a cucumber sauce. A bluefin tuna course, with tartare in a potato tartlet and aged chutoro, is a contender for the best of the night.
Turbot is the centrepiece: cooked over the fire in a manner that nods to fish en croute, glazed with Hato miso butter and sauced with smoked fish bones. Duck, with umeboshi and daikon, brings the sharp Japanese counterpoint to rich meat. Puddings stay smoky: smoked tofu ice cream with feuilletine, toasted koji and Papua New Guinea chocolate, and a chardonnay vinegar meringue torched at the table.
It is set menus only, from a short lunch to five or eight courses. FACT found the three-course portions small, so go longer if you are hungry. Rayner called it all highlights, and Business Traveller, visiting in summer, could not test the cosy winter mood the room is built for.
Drinks
The cocktails come from what the restaurant calls a liquid kitchen, which uses oyster shells and citrus peel. The caviar martini, with soy caviar pearls, is a highlight, as is the coconut negroni. Sommelier Ragusini's list runs from Meo-Camuzet to Latour and Margaux.
Clench has been frank about his plan: a busy restaurant first, then recognition. London's fire cooking has spent a decade proving it can char a steak. At Igni, the grill is being asked to cook a turbot gently, then finish a meringue.
- The vibe
- Moody, club-like townhouse room; open fire kitchen; counter seats facing the embers.
- The food
- Potato bao, ember-roasted oyster, miso-butter turbot, duck with umeboshi, smoked tofu ice cream.
- The drink
- Liquid-kitchen cocktails: caviar martini, coconut negroni; Ragusini's Burgundy and Bordeaux list.
- A tip
- Counter seats for two, dressed lightly; ask for a table away from the fire if needed. FACT.
