Topolski, a new bar and café on the Southbank – The Smugglers Cove opens in Liverpool – Great Court Restaurant to open at the British Museum – André Garrett at Cliveden – Ergon brings innovative Greek cuisine to London – bunnychow ‘hops into’ BOXPARK – The best-looking Slug and Lettuce arrives at Tower Bridge – Fischer’s from Corbin & King.
Overview
Topolski, a new bar and café on the Southbank
The Smugglers Cove opens in Liverpool
Great Court Restaurant for the British Museum
André Garrett opens at Cliveden
Ergon brings innovative Greek cuisine to London
bunnychow ‘hops into’ BOXPARK
The best-looking Slug and Lettuce arrives at Tower Bridge
Fischer’s from Corbin & King
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Topolski, a new bar and café on the Southbank
Relaxed and with a lively atmosphere, new bar and café Topolski launched on London’s
Southbank on 1 November in collaboration with the Topolski family and with the support of the Southbank Centre.
The new opening is a café by day and a bar by night, replacing the former Topolski Century art bunker. Very much part of the Southbank’s cultural DNA, it archives the prolific Chronicles - an observation of momentous world events from the lifetime (1907-1989) of Feliks Topolski, the Polish-born expressionist painter
The new bar and café continues to exhibit Topolski’s work as part of the interior design for the space, which has been created by B3 Designers (Bubbledogs, Paesan, Trishna, Le Gavroche). It evokes an industrial and handmade feel, forming the backdrop to Topolski’s iconic paintings and illustrations.
Ensuring that Topolski is closely linked with the cultural heritage of the area, British designers Wayne and Jack Hemingway have curated a regular programme of events taking place at the bar in the evening. The initial line-up showcases an eclectic mix of musicians, featuring cabaret artists, DJs and world music.
The concise menus take their cue from a range of central and Eastern European cuisines. Featuring quality sourced produce presented in a clean and simple manner, the menus, from Company of Cooks chef Bruce Wilson and Claire Clark offer breakfast, lunch and small sharing dishes in the evening.
With its cultural links to the area and strong sense of individuality, Topolski, a Company of Cooks production in collaboration with The Hemingways and the Topolski family, makes for a creative addition to the Southbank.
Topolski, 158 Hungerford Bridge, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX
@bartopolski
020 7620 0627
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The Smugglers Cove opens in Liverpool
Leading restaurant operator Living Ventures is opening its fourth venue under The New World Trading Company (NWTC) format in Albert Dock, Liverpool. The company has spent £1 million on refurbishing its new Albert Dock unit into an exciting new restaurant and bar.
The Smugglers Cove will offer a rum list, cocktails, craft beers and ales, Champagne and wine. The food menu is inspired by the deli, rotisserie and BBQ. Live music will be performed by local musicians on a daily basis.
The Smugglers Cove is in the heart of Albert Dock on Britannia Pavilion. This opening follows the success of the company’s other NWTC restaurants: The Oast House in Manchester, and The Botanist in Leeds and Alderley Edge. NWTC has a forecast turnover of £9.5 million for this financial year with expansion planned for London in 2014.
Graham Cook, director of Albert Dock Company, said, “We are very pleased to welcome NWTC’s latest venue to Albert Dock. Its arrival will only further enhance the already fantastic selection of bars and restaurants we have on offer here. In its 25th year of regeneration, it seems very right that a new operation should open at the Dock. While we should celebrate the past, it’s always important to look to the future and bring exciting new venues for visitors to enjoy.”
Website
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Great Court Restaurant for the British Museum
In January 2014, London will gain a landmark museum dining room with the opening of Great Court Restaurant at the British Museum. The redesigned restaurant will enjoy a glorious new look from Softroom Architects in a uniquely stunning setting – on a mezzanine floor above the world-famous Reading Room and directly beneath the curved steel and glass roof of the Norman Foster-designed Great Court.
Complete with a brand new central restaurant entrance, additional communal dining tables, an open kitchen and a central charcuterie table, Great Court has now become more accessible and welcoming to visitors and museum goers.
Great Court Restaurant is the latest venture from the award-winning Benugo family of restaurants. Its kitchen, led by newly appointed head chef Jason Wass, will celebrate high quality, locally sourced food with a fresh focus on traditional European dishes. The restaurant will open daily for lunch and afternoon tea, with an additional dinner service every Friday.
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André Garrett opens at Cliveden
Andrew Stembridge, Managing Director of Cliveden and Chewton Glen, has announced that André Garrett opened his eponymous restaurant – André Garrett at Cliveden – on 18 November 2013 at Cliveden House, near Taplow, Berkshire. The 68-seat dining room is located on the ground floor of the luxurious historic country house hotel, on the site that was previously The Terrace Restaurant.
André, who has moved to Berkshire after nearly eight years as Head Chef at Galvin at Windows at the London Hilton Park Lane, is thrilled with the challenge: “Cliveden is inspirational. The building and its history have truly given me a new confidence and creative energy to develop my cooking style.”
Born in Bath, André started his cooking career at Huntstrete Hotel, then worked at several of Nico Ladenis’ establishments (Simply Nico, Nico Central, Chez Nico at 90 Park Lane), followed by Bistrot Bruno, The Landmark Hotel, and Moxon’s (in Clapham). In 2002, he joined Chris Galvin at Orrery, followed by Galvin at Windows where he was head chef from 2006-2013 – with a stint in Paris at Guy Savoy, following his achievement of the Roux Scholarship (2002).
At Cliveden, André’s Modern French menu will change with the seasons. Highlights from his launch menu will include Roast game consommé ‘Guy Savoy’ with Jerusalem artichoke cream, mini cep brioche and game canapés; Tartare of South Coast mackerel with smoked eel beignets; Roast Bresse pigeon with glazed salsify and pumpkin; Rice pudding soufflé with Agen prunes; and Slow-cooked Cox’s apples with rosemary caramel, raisin purée and beurre noisette crumb.
Martin Hulbert Design (who has worked with many heritage properties in the UK) has undertaken a sensitive redecoration of the space, incorporating the original features with some new, more contemporary touches. The result is a less formal, lighter, gentle, verycomfortable dining room. Walls are in duck egg blue, alcoves are lined in pale green silk and hung with mirrors, and the voluptuous curtains are mossy green, gold and tobacco silk, framing the views of the gardens and beyond. There are also three magnificent, large chandeliers, and two grand marble fireplaces (installed circa 1906).
André Garrett at Cliveden, Cliveden Road, Taplow, Berkshire SL6 0JF
01628 607100
dine@clivedenhouse.co.uk
Website
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Ergon brings innovative Greek cuisine to London
Ergon, the eagerly anticipated new restaurant-come-deli from Greece, joins the eclectic London food scene.
Located a stone’s throw away from the hustle and bustle of Oxford Street, the innovative concept is both a celebration and reinvention of Mediterranean culture, as the finest ingredients sourced from small independent producers are used in every plate. The menu, created by executive chef Dimitris Skarmoutsos (formally of French Laundry and a judge on Greek Masterchef) and chef de cuisine Dimitris Katrivesis (who honed his craft at El Bulli), has been crafted to offer diners authentic recipes with a twist. Gone are the typical village meze offerings and in their place contemporary and unique creations.
These range from black tzatziki flavoured with squid ink to fava topped with truffle oil and caramalised onions – and that’s just for starters. For the main event, slow-cooked lamb that effortlessly melts off the bone and the fresh catch of the day succeed in treating taste buds with every bite. Signature dishes that have got customers in Greece talking include: Gruyere cheese rolled with oats and drizzled with syrup and fried egg with staka cream which makes the perfect dipping alternative.
The London restaurant follows the huge popularity of the brand’s six outlets that have opened in Greece since 2011. The brainchild of entrepreneurial brothers Thomas and Giorgos Douzis, Ergon has won over critics. Founder Thomas Douzis believes the diversity of London offers the perfect backdrop for further growth.
Staying true to the Ergon branding, already instantly recognisable and well received by natives, the stripped-back décor does not detract from the quality and experience of the food. Instead the combination of exposed light bulbs, white-painted brick walls and stainless steel features taps into an industrial chic aesthetic. Taking a seat at the minimalist wooden benches allows diners to focus purely on the plates in front of them, heightening the senses and overall experience.
Ergon, 16 Picton Place, London W1U 1BP
Bookings: only accept booking for parties for 6 people + (020 7486 9210)
Website
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Ergon brings innovative Greek cuisine to London
Ergon, the eagerly anticipated new restaurant-come-deli from Greece, joins the eclectic London food scene.
Located a stone’s throw away from the hustle and bustle of Oxford Street, the innovative concept is both a celebration and reinvention of Mediterranean culture, as the finest ingredients sourced from small independent producers are used in every plate. The menu, created by executive chef Dimitris Skarmoutsos (formally of French Laundry and a judge on Greek Masterchef) and chef de cuisine Dimitris Katrivesis (who honed his craft at El Bulli), has been crafted to offer diners authentic recipes with a twist. Gone are the typical village meze offerings and in their place contemporary and unique creations.
These range from black tzatziki flavoured with squid ink to fava topped with truffle oil and caramalised onions – and that’s just for starters. For the main event, slow-cooked lamb that effortlessly melts off the bone and the fresh catch of the day succeed in treating taste buds with every bite. Signature dishes that have got customers in Greece talking include: Gruyere cheese rolled with oats and drizzled with syrup and fried egg with staka cream which makes the perfect dipping alternative.
The London restaurant follows the huge popularity of the brand’s six outlets that have opened in Greece since 2011. The brainchild of entrepreneurial brothers Thomas and Giorgos Douzis, Ergon has won over critics. Founder Thomas Douzis believes the diversity of London offers the perfect backdrop for further growth.
Staying true to the Ergon branding, already instantly recognisable and well received by natives, the stripped-back décor does not detract from the quality and experience of the food. Instead the combination of exposed light bulbs, white-painted brick walls and stainless steel features taps into an industrial chic aesthetic. Taking a seat at the minimalist wooden benches allows diners to focus purely on the plates in front of them, heightening the senses and overall experience.
Ergon, 16 Picton Place, London W1U 1BP
Bookings: only accept booking for parties for 6 people + (020 7486 9210)
Website
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bunnychow ‘hops into’ BOXPARK
bunnychow BOXPARK has arrived. After taking the streets of London by storm this summer with their South African inspired truck, bunnychow have bounded into their first permanent home at Shoreditch’s BOXPARK.
The ‘Tail’
The bunny chow is said to have been invented in 1940s Durban, when Indian sugar workers were looking for something sturdier than rotis to transfer their lunch from pot to plantation. One bright spark hollowed out a loaf of bread, filled it to the top with tasty curry and the bunny was born! Traditionally eaten with fingers under the shade of a Banyan Tree, some were filled with vegetables others with fragrant mutton.
The Bunnies
The bunnychow philosophy is simple; if it tastes good, cram it in! The menu features the signature favourite from the truck, the famous ‘Monkey Gland Bunny’ packed with tasty meatballs alongside new bunnies, created especially for BOXPARK. Look out for the ‘Ginger Chicken Bunny’ with chicken and squash, smothered in an Asian-inspired ginger and caramel sauce with a spicy kick and the ‘Boston Beans Bunny’ loaded with molasses, baked beans, fresh spinach and smoked cheese.
Sashaying in with a sexy streamlined shape are the new flat bunnies: super-slim variants with warm fillings including a South African spiced ‘Bobotie Burger’ with all the trimmings, or chilled ones such as ‘Lime & Chilli Crayfish’ with chilli crème fraiche and pomegranate.
The Look
Housed inside one of BOXPARK’s sought-after shipping containers on the upper level, bunnychow will bring its stripped-back style to East London. Chipboard tables, comfortable-high metal stools, pendant lights and exposed scaffolding complete the industrial look.
Wesbite – bunnychow
XPARK Shoreditch, Unit 55, 2-4 Bethnal Green Road, London E1 6GY
Website – Boxpark
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The best-looking Slug and Lettuce arrives at Tower Bridge
The award-winning Stonegate Pub Company has opened a brand new Slug and Lettuce at Tower Bridge in St Katharine Dock, offering customers an enhanced, premium food and drink menu reflecting the bar’s elegant surroundings.
Additional dishes have been added to the hugely popular ‘Under 500 Calories Section’ including the Grilled Asparagus & King Prawn Salad along with dishes such as Grilled Salmon and heritage potatoes and Roast Loin of Cod served with a vermouth & chive sauce. A first for the Slug and Lettuce is the listing of an organic lager by the award-winning English brewery, Freedom.
General manager, Stephen McMahon who heads up the team at the Slug and Lettuce said: “What more could you ask for than the wonderful, awe-inspiring backdrop of Tower Bridge and the beautiful marina – I think it’s the best looking Slug and Lettuce within the estate but of course, I am biased!
“The bar looks amazing with its luxe décor and with Christmas just around the corner, we’re confident that it will be a great place to celebrate Christmas and beyond in a stylish setting.”
The Slug and Lettuce, Unit 1, Tower Bridge House, St Katharine Dock, London, E1W 1AA
0207 702 4210
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Fischer’s from Corbin & King
Corbin & King have announced their new restaurant – Fischer’s – to open in late spring next year with interiors by Shayne Brady of Brady Williams.
Evocative of Vienna in the early twentieth century, Fischer’s will be an informal, neighbourhood café and konditorei. It will open early for breakfast and continue to serve food and drinks throughout the day, with a full dinner service until late into the evening.
50 Marylebone High Street, London, W1U 5HN
@fischerslondon