A Victorian winter garden, jerk BBQ delivered to your door and a George Clooney-owned Tequila bar in South Kensington…
Booking Office 1869
This reimagined bar and restaurant inside the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel in King’s Cross re-launches in October, following a major redesign by Parisian architect and designer Hugo Toro. A new take on the original, 19th century train station ticket hall includes a Victorian Winter Garden, chock full of eclectic patterns and fabrics and 8-metre tall palm trees. Dishes including slow roasted lamb shoulder in chermoula spices and monkfish and potato curry with spinach, spring onion and lime, will be overseen by Patrick Powell, formerly of Chiltern Firehouse. Sweet offerings include Blackberry Trifle and a ridiculously tempting brioche donut with caramelised apple and burnt cinnamon cream. A live Raw Bar will also serve market oysters and sashimi-style skewers. Premium cocktails, Champagnes, wines and spirits will rule the drinks list, alongside a tea-inspired non-alcoholic range.
Top Cuvee
Brodie Meah and Max Venning have opened Cave Cuvée and Shop Cuvée in Bethnal Green on the back of their hugely successful Highbury restaurant, Top Cuvée. Packed with an extensive selection of natural wines for all budgets – from recognised labels, to exclusive new drops – accompanied by deli goods and small plates of cheese and cured meats, the kitchen will be manned by chef friends with guest menus to follow. The shop will also play host to tastings, takeovers and events to be announced later this year. Better still, bike couriers are on hand to deliver goods across London, within the hour, if you can’t bring yourself to leave your sofa.
Rabbit
Favourite Kings Road haunt Rabbit is partnering up with Hendricks gin and Double Dutch tonic, to launch a bespoke menu to celebrate the Chelsea Flower Show (21 – 26 Sept). The restaurant will be transformed for inclusion in Chelsea In Bloom, with a floral display of dahlias and fresh fruit, and guests will be able to garnish their own cocktails with flowers and foraged herbs, with mini pots of Basil on tables interspersed with quirky teacups and teapots from Hendricks. The set menu, £28 for four courses, will focus on wild, organic and British produce with dishes such as mushroom marmite eclair and wild boar ragu with frassilli pasta. Each dish will be matched with a cocktail featuring Hendricks gin and Double Dutch tonic, including signature G&T’s such as Cucumber Watermelon and Pomegranate & Basil.
Bacardi Rum /Juici Jerk
Bacardi Rum has teamed up with delivery service Juici Jerk to create a punchy at-home BBQ meal kit with a unique Latin-Caribbean twist. The mouthwatering kit contains jerk chicken wings, jerk chicken tacos, mini vegetable and beef patties, rice and peas, plantain, Caribbean slaw and corn ribs. Also inside the package is an array of accompanying sauces including sweet pepper chimichurri, jerk BBQ sauce and a limited edition Bacardi Spiced & Honey Sauce. Oh – and there’s a 70cl bottle of Bacardi Spiced too to whet your whistle, with notes of almond, dried fruits, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a slight smokiness. Priced at £55, pre-orders are now open from juicijerk.com, with deliveries planned nationwide for Friday 17 and Friday 24 September.
Percy’s/ George Clooney
September 30th sees the launch of a new late night drinking, dining and dancing spot on Kensington High Street. Percy’s big draw is its Casamigos Tequila and Mezcal bar, from the George Clooney and Rande Gerber-founded brand, alongside its own second bar and lounge. DJs, live music, generously poured cocktails and Champagne on ice should draw the crowds, plus the fact that the kitchen is run by executive chef Nick Wyborn, formerly of Mac & Wild. Percy’s will also be available for private party hire from Sunday-Wednesday.
