The Quiet Confidence 1 Lombard Street
There’s something quite grounding about photographing someone who has built something that’s lasted. I met Søren Jessen at 1 Lombard Street, right in the heart of the City. Maybe you know it - that big, former banking hall with the dome ceiling. It’s one of those places that feels established in a way that can’t be faked. It’s the real deal.
Søren’s actually been in London since the late 80s, but he’s Danish through and through. There’s a calmness about him, a kind of quiet confidence. After a career in the City he walked into this building and decided it should be a restaurant (as you do). That was in the late 90s. It took a couple of years and a serious amount of work to turn it into what it is now. What I like about his story is that it isn’t about chasing trends. In fact, quite the opposite. The success of Lombard Street seems to come from doing simple things well - good produce, proper service, looking after customers and his staff. It all sounds obvious, but very few places actually manage this so consistently over decades.
1 Lombard Street is testament to Søren’s values, his warmth and his commitment to excellence. Spending a bit of time with him left me feeling there will be many more decades of 1 Lombard Street to come. I do hope so.
