Ekstedt at The Yard, the Scandinavian open-fire restaurant in Westminster from Swedish Michelin-starred chef Niklas Ekstedt, has appointed Luca Mastrantoni as head chef.
Mastrantoni brings more than a decade of experience to the role, hailing from Italy, where he learnt to use “delicate and seasonal” ingredients, before moving to London to focus on fine dining.
He joined Farringdon’s The Drunken Butler as chef de partie, where he expanded his skills in preserving and fermenting, before joining Ekstedt at The Yard in Westminster as junior sous chef in 2022 and then progressing to sous chef in 2023.
Now, as head chef of Ekstedt at the Yard in 2024, he will continue to work closely with Niklas to deliver the live-fire dining experience the restaurant is known for, overseeing all menus with ancient Scandinavian cooking techniques and seasonal British ingredients. He also leads on the Chef’s Table experience which hosts up to seven people in front of the open fire kitchen.
Regarding his appointment, Mastrantoni said: “I’m delighted to take on this new role and oversee our talented kitchen team at Ekstedt at The Yard. Niklas is a real inspiration and fire has always been an element that’s drawn me to the kitchen, so I’m really excited that I can pursue this passion in the heart of London – bringing the theatre of open flame dining to guests.”
All dishes at Ekstedt at The Yard are cooked over an open fire using only flames, smoke and embers, creating dishes with caramelised flavours achieved through roasting, grilling and smoking.
Ekstedt at The Yard is located in Great Scotland Yard Hotel.
Ekstedt added: “Luca is an incredibly capable and dynamic chef who has been with us at Ekstedt at The Yard since 2022. He really understands that the intersection of tradition and innovation is at the heart of what we do and I’m excited to see him continue to develop the complexity of flavours on our menus.”
