Fire at former BBC headquarters in London: Michelin-star restaurant affected.

Restaurant Closure

According to The Sun: The Michelin-star restaurant will remain closed after a major fire destroyed part of the old BBC Television Centre.

The elite venue assured that all staff are safe, but will remain closed until further notice while they 'carefully move forward'.

Endo at the Rotunda restaurant was affected by the fire that occurred last week.

They announced they would remain closed until further notice following the incident at the old BBC Television Centre.

Consequences

Approximately 100 firefighters and 15 fire engines arrived at the scene on Wood Lane in west London, where families had already been evacuated from their homes on Saturday.

The chef Endo Kazutoshi's restaurant, Endo at the Rotunda, was affected by the fire that engulfed the upper floors of the nine-story building.

The restaurant management company, Creative Restaurant Group, released a statement on Friday, stating they are 'absolutely heartbroken'.

“A fire broke out in the Helios building on the morning of September 6, damaging Endo at the Rotunda. We are deeply grateful to the London Fire Brigade for their quick and brave response and to residents and the community for their patience and cooperation throughout the situation. Most importantly, we are relieved and thankful that everyone is safe. Our team is absolutely heartbroken by what has happened, and the Rotunda will remain closed until further notice while we carefully consider our next steps. We will provide updates in due course, and in the meantime, we are very touched by the support and kindness we have received.”

The restaurant, located on the top floor of the former Television Centre, opened in 2019 and received a Michelin star the following year.

Last year, the bar and kitchen were refurbished, which led to the venue being closed for several months.

Firefighters arrived at the complex at lunchtime on September 6, where the restaurant and outdoor area were ablaze.

A number of apartments in the building also sustained smoke and water damage due to the fire.

The London Fire Brigade reported that they worked with the Metropolitan Police to evacuate 22 residents from the building, while other structures in the area were also evacuated for safety reasons.

A recovery center was set up for those who had to leave their homes.

The fire service confirmed that assistance was provided at the scene to a baby suffering from smoke inhalation.

Station commander Graham Beers noted that teams were working all day in 'challenging conditions' to bring the fire under control.

“It was a challenging fire on the top floor of the building, and firefighters worked tirelessly to prevent it from spreading,”

he said.

“Two 32-meter fire ladders were deployed and used as water towers to extinguish the fire from height.”

Li Mei, 36, who lives in a luxury apartment complex across the street, told the PA agency: “I got up in the morning, and my partner told me to look out the window. There was so much smoke – we were worried the situation would worsen.”

BBC left its old headquarters in 2013 but continued to use portions of the studios until July 2015 when the last staff members moved out.

The fire engulfed the building, and families were evacuated from their homes.

The situation continues to develop, and businesses and residents affected are awaiting further action from local authorities and security services. Whether the Endo at the Rotunda restaurant can quickly recover from this unfortunate event remains to be seen. Meanwhile, local residents are eagerly awaiting the restoration of the offerings it previously provided.