We sit down with Mark Gurney to chat about his new collaboration with Paris restaurants and hosting them in Peckham @ Levan

Q: Where did the idea for these pop-ups or chef collaborations come from?

Well, I’m not even sure “pop-up” is the right word. What we’re doing at Levan isn’t a takeover where another team runs the kitchen for a few days. It’s more of a collaboration – we invite chefs we admire to come and cook with us, and we cover their travel and accommodation.

It’s informal. They don’t get paid directly and they don’t take a cut of the ticket price. We just make it easy for them to come over, have fun, cook great food, and share what they love. It’s more of a working holiday.

Q: So what’s the model? Do they do the prep and service?

Yes, normally they arrive Friday, we go out that evening, then prep all day Saturday and cook that night. On Sunday, we host a long, relaxed lunch. We pay for their food and drinks and they just focus on the experience. It’s a celebration, not a job.

Q: Why Paris, specifically?

I’ve been going to Paris every year for my birthday – probably for the last six or seven years – just to explore the food scene. Over time I’ve built up connections, especially through Christine, who’s an editor at Le Fooding. She introduced me to so many great places and people.

Eventually I thought, “Why not bring a bit of Paris to London?” There’s a real cultural and culinary dialogue happening – and no one else is doing this in a structured way.

Q: Can you talk us through the restaurants you’ve worked with?

Sure. We started with Minibar – we were introduced by George Black, a good friend and brilliant chef. We went over, spent time with the team, cooked with them, filmed a bit of content to help tell their story to our audience.

The second was Le Verre Volé, a place Matt and I were introduced to by my friend Charlie, who’s a lawyer and big wine nerd. 

Then there’s Les Oeillets snack bar – that’s our July collaboration. It’s a tiny Paris restaurant owned by Max and Solal, both in their 20s and full of energy. They’ve both worked at iconic wine-led spots like Chambre Noire, Cave de Belleville and Yard. They run Les Oeillets more like a residency program, so it fits perfectly with what we do.

Q: What’s the structure of the weekend like when the Paris teams come over?

They usually arrive on Friday, cook with us on Saturday, and stay until Monday. On Sunday, we do a set menu lunch at Levan (£55 per person with wine), followed by an open house at Bar Levan from 4pm. That part’s not ticketed – just a big party with natural wine and good music.

Sometimes the guest chefs DJ. Sometimes I do. It’s a proper industry hangout.

Q: Are these chefs keen to return?

Yes, absolutely. But we’re also keen to spread the love – introduce new places and build a bigger community. We have a big list of Paris restaurants we want to work with.

Q: Any plans to take this model abroad?

Actually, someone from Amsterdam recently got in touch – they’d seen what we’re doing and wanted to do something similar. So yes, we’re looking at expanding this across Europe. Maybe New York one day, but only if we get an airline sponsor!

Right now, we’re paying for everything ourselves. It’s not revenue-generating – we see it as marketing, but marketing that people actually care about.

Q: Would you ever do a Bar Levan-style pop-up in Paris?

Funny you ask – I’m heading to Paris in November to do something with Le Verre Volé. It’s called Beaujolais Disco – a party concept with wine and music. One of the owners there, Toto, runs a record label and DJs, so we’re combining forces for a night. We’re not cooking yet – just throwing a great party.

Q: What’s next for the series?

We’ll definitely do another four-part Paris series next year. Maybe one or two repeats, but the goal is to grow the network, build friendships, and keep the vibe fresh.

Q: Final thoughts?

At the end of the day, this whole project is about bringing people together – across cities, cultures, and kitchens. We want Levan and Bar Levan to be a hub for hospitality people who are excited, curious, and just want to hang out, eat well, and have fun.