£500m bid to give St James's district a 'sexy' new image

The first phase of a £500million plan to "sex up" the clubland district of St James's and turn it into a fashionable extension of the West End is unveiled today.

A new all-day Villandry brasserie will open in Waterloo Place near Pall Mall in 2013, starting a 10-year makeover aimed at drawing top brands into the "uncharted territory" south of Piccadilly.

The Crown Estate, which owns about 50 per cent of property in St James's, plans to refurbish dozens of buildings used as offices and turn them into shops or restaurants.

Villandry boss Philippe Le Roux said: "If you look at the elegance of the buildings it is amazing there is so little available. If you had a similar spot in other European capitals you'd find lots of places.

"There are lots of clubs but they're are all a bit yesteryear. The younger generation want places where they can do whatever they like."