The London fire brigade (LFB) said 125 firefighters and 20 fire engines attended the blaze at the restaurant and luxury hotel on Chiltern Street in Marylebone after a 999 call was made at 2.52pm.
The restaurant is on the ground floor of the building, one of London’s first purpose-built fire stations, and an eyewitness said they had been told the fire had “started in the kitchen” and then “went upstairs”.
By 5.30pm, around two hours after the fire started, thick black smoke was billowing from the roof and firefighters began using an aerial platform to pump water on to the area.
Crews of firefighters from across London were deployed to the scene, including from Euston, Kensington and Chelsea, Paddington, Soho and West Hampstead fire stations.
An LFB spokesperson said they were fighting fire in “ducting which leads from the ground floor to the roof of the four storey hotel.
