Qatari Diar real estate company is said to be in talks to sign Richard Caring’s Le Caprice for its luxury hotel and leisure redevelopment of the former US Embassy building in Mayfair.

CoStar News reports that the US’s Italian-American restaurant brand Carbone is also rumoured for the destination. 

Qatari Diar started construction of the £1 billion hotel, retail, restaurant and leisure destination, to be known as Chancery Rosewood, in 2021.

British architect Sir David Chipperfield’s plans for the building, which is Grade II listed, comprise 139 hotel rooms and suites dining and entertainment venues, a ballroom for 1,000 guests designed, a Rosewood Spa & wellbeing facility and fives retail spaces.

Le Caprice in London’s St James’s was originally opened by Mario Gallati in 1947.

The site is ready to open its doors again, as Jeremy King, the restaurateur behind the Wolseley and the Delaunay, has taken over the lease for 20 Arlington Street, which was his first restaurant.

King took over Le Caprice in 1981 with his business partner, Chris Corbin.

Restaurant and clubs entrepreneur Richard Caring later took over Le Caprice in 2005.

Separately US restaurant Carbone, an Italian-American food celebrity haunt in New York, is understood to be in talks to take space for its first London venue.

The group also has restaurants in Dallas, Miami, Las Vegas and Hong Kong.