Such a move would make Galvin the second Conran employee to join the founders of London's well-loved Ivy and Le Caprice restaurants. Conran managing director David Loewi revealed last month that he would be joining Corbin and King at the end of July.

As Caterer went to press, Conran Restaurants was unable to confirm whether Galvin was planning to leave. King said he was unable to comment on the situation at the moment. Galvin became chef-director at Conran Restaurants on 1 December last year, having previously held the position of chef-patron at Conran's one-Michelin-starred Orrery restaurant, in Marylebone, since its opening in 1997. He also oversaw the launch of the group's Almeida restaurant in Islington in 2001.

In addition to their plans to open a restaurant, King and Corbin have also expressed an interest in owning a London hotel for some time, and hoped Loewi's past hotel experience would help them find the right opportunity. Before joining Conran eight years ago, Loewi had worked at the Hyatt Carlton Tower, Imperial Inns and Taverns, Claridge's and the London Metropole.

King said the venue for their new restaurant had not been settled but that the partners were in negotiations with China House's owners. He did concede, however, that when the pair returned to the restaurant world they would not want to replicate past successes. "We're looking to create a caf‚ in the grand European tradition," said King.