The original restaurant
The basement space, now known as the One Moorgate Place Club, which sits under the the 1960s part of the building has been used a restaurant for the majority of its existence.
The basement segmental arch which once sheltered a converted coke burner boiler, is now the main entrance. A further entrance opens into the lift lobby on the Copthall Avenue side of the building, where all floors in the modern extension can be reached and stairs that lead up to the Copthall Avenue reception and the Great Hall on Level 1.
By 1988 the restaurant had been refurbished in soft greys and greens with light oak and was operated by Compass Services, the UK's leading contract catering company at the time.
Leith's, Esca and the Moorgate Place Restaurant
It has been renamed and renovated several times. In 1992 it was refurbished and renamed as 'Leith's at the Institute' and was operated by Pru Leith's Leith Catering company on a five year contract and featured specially commissioned frieze After Thornycroft by Cathy Ward, a protege of Eduardo Paolizzi.
'Leith's', was officially re-opened by the Lord Mayor of London, Sir Brian Jenkins (a chartered accountant and a former president of the ICAEW) on 23 September 1992.
Accountancy reported "According to Ms Leith, the designers have gone for a 'serious and conventional restaurant' look 'which will not frighten members with too much yuppie jazzdom', but which is also fun - 'witty, modern and stylish enough to encourage them to come'.
"Reactions have been mixed, ranging from love it to loathe it. Lord Mayor of London Sir Brian Jenkins seemed lost for words in trying to explain the sculpture...'that extraordinary thing'... which now stands, he said, where former Institute secretary John Hough used to lunch."
A further refurbishment took place between July and September 1998 and the restaurant reopened as esca (Latin for 'good to eat') and was operated by Gardner Merchant. A 'magnificent' plate glass etching sculpted by Moultrie & Mortimer appeard on the main staircase, which contained images associated with the world of accountancy.
In August 2009 the space reopened after yet another refubishment as One Moorgate Place Restaurant.
Leith's at the Institute
The wining and dining facilities will be open to members and non-members alike. However, the Institute is keen to uphold the dignity of Moorgate Place. Karaoke nights have been ruled out, non-members will not be allowed access to the members' rooms and 'undesirables' will be refused entrance
According to Ms Leith, the designers have gone for a 'serious and conventional restaurant' look 'which will not frighten members with too much yuppie jazzdom', but which is also fun - 'witty, modern and stylish enough to encourage them to come'
esca
One Moorgate Place Restaurant Club
One Moorgate Place Club
The restaurant closed in 2015 and during subsequent renovations to the 1960s extension, the space was used as temporary office space, reopening as the One Moorgate Place Club in 2019. Artworks by Julia Brooker are prominently featured and the main entrance corridor contains stained glass roundels of Economia which had been removed from the building in 1970 and returned to the ICAEW in 2017. During this renovation the Cathy Ward frieze, previously installed in Leith's at the Institute, was brought out of store and placed in the lift lobby at the rear entrance of The Club.
Further sources of information
The ICAEW Library & Information Service holds a collection of books and articles on Chartered Accountants' Hall, covering the original building and the later extensions. See our Further reading page for details of these, as well as links to web pages on the sculptors and artists whose work decorates the building.