Taste update September 2021

Friday 27 August 2021
Sixes, cricket social - Manchester

Canal-side eateries, renovated theatre saloons and an immersive Batman dining experience - Britain’s food scene is set to reignite with a range of new eateries as we move from summer into autumn. From high-end establishments in London and Scotland to stylish local dining in Cardiff, there’s something new for every visitor to look forward to.

 

London, England

Theatre Royal Drury Lane

London’s oldest theatre, the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in Covent Garden, has recently reopened after a two-year long, £60 million renovation. Lovingly known as ‘The Lane’, it is home to four dining venues and bars: The Garden, The Rotunda Bar, the Cecil Beaton and the Grand Saloon. Having opened in summer 2021, The Garden is a lush, foliage-filled green space with both indoor and outdoor seating for all-day light bites, while the two new bars, the Cecil Beaton and the Rotunda champagne bar, serve drinks in opulent, Regency-style surroundings. Set to open later in 2021, the Grand Saloon promises decadent afternoon tea surrounded by large chandeliers, green marble and plush furnishings.

Capacity: The Grand Saloon sits 350 guests

Hours: The garden is open Monday – Saturday from 9:30am to 10:30pm, bars are open Monday – Sunday 10am – 11pm

 

Café Cecilia

August 2021 saw Ex-River Café chef Max Rocha open Hackney’s latest canal-side eatery, Café Cecilia, Inspired by Irish upbringing and his time at St John Bread & Wine and Spring, Cafe Cecilia’s lunch menu will offer delicious dishes such as lemon sole, rabbit tagliatelle and onglet, chips and béarnaise sauce. Breakfast options include hearty choices such as a Guinness bread with boiled eggs, black pudding with poached egg, and kippers. Evening bookings will be available later in 2021.

Capacity: Private events can host 50 guests

Hours: Wednesday to Sunday, open for breakfast from 9am and lunch from 12pm

 

The Top Hat

Fans of board games can now enjoy a new Monopoly-inspired restaurant and cocktail bar, the Top Hat, which opened on Tottenham Court Road on 14 August. Featuring menus full of British classics and bar nibbles, there are also signature cocktails based on the board’s famous London destinations, including Mayfair and the alcohol-free Marlborough Street. It can be found on the ground floor of the Monopoly Lifesized experience, an immersive life-sized game that mixes traditional rules with bonus 4D tasks along the way.

Capacity: 70-cover restaurant and 47-cover cocktail bar

Hours: Tuesday to Thursday, 3pm – 11pm, Friday 12pm – 12am, Saturday 10am – 12am, Sunday 10am – 10.30pm

 

Park Row

Calling all comic fans! London’s Soho is now home to the world’s first fully immersive DC-inspired restaurant, Park Row. Multi-sensory storytelling from Gotham City’s best-known characters will span the five bars and dining spaces, alongside spectacular food and cocktails. The Monarch Theatre allows guests to dine inside a 360-degree screen complete projection show, while the Iceberg Lounge represents the opulent side of Gotham city, with champagne, rich food and live entertainment. Then there’s Rogues Gallery, which takes diners inside the world of Selina Kyle – Catwoman - with delicious dishes served against a backdrop of her most treasured possessions. Two further bars paying homage to DC favourites are Old Gotham City (opening in September), a speakeasy for the comic’s criminals, and Pennyworth’s, an extravagant Art Deco bar serving cocktails, caviar and fine whiskies named after Bruce Wayne’s butler. The Grade II-listed Art Deco venue opened on 10 August 2021.

Capacity: 330

Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 12pm - 1am

 

The Cadogan Arms

Successfully bringing together a newly renovated Chelsea pub and a top London chef, the Cadogan Arms reopened this July after two-years of renovations. Visitors can expect a traditional pub returned to its former glory, with rich décor featuring carved wooden ceilings, stained glass and Victorian-style tiles paying homage to its 200-year history. The new menu offers high-end pub grub, including classics such as ham, egg and chips and beer-battered fish and chips, in addition to fresh creations such as Cornish turbot roasted on the bone and paneer and vegetable makhani curry. Under direction from Kitchen Table's James Knappett and ex Harwood Arms chef Alex Harper, the Cadogan Arms is undoubtedly a fantastic addition to London’s bustling King’s Road.

Capacity: Approximately 50 covers across pub and dining area

Hours: Closed Monday and Tuesday, dining room open until 10:30pm on Fridays and Saturdays.

 

Manchester, England

Sadler’s Cat

The heart of Manchester welcomed a new neighbourhood pub from local brewery Cloudwater on 30 July, Sadler’s Cat. Found near Victoria railway station, the venue is decorated with bright colours, striking art pieces and simple lines, and aims for a community-focused atmosphere with a Cloudwater twist. As well as a host of locally-brewed beers, there will also be natural wine and a mouth-watering street food menu, with several plant-based options.

Capacity: 200 across indoor and outside seating

Hours: Open 4pm to 10pm Wednesday and Thursday, from 2pm until 12am Friday and Saturday, and from 12pm - 8pm on Sunday, closed on Monday and Tuesdays

 

Sixes

Bringing together foodies, friends and sporty-types, Sixes serves delicious food alongside cricket batting nets for a uniquely competitive dining experience. Hot on the heels of two successful London clubs, 29 August will see the opening on Manchester’s own Sixes, serving a menu packed with sharing small plates, grilled mains and burgers which can be enjoyed in the dining room or on tables in the batting nets themselves.  

Capacity: TBC

Hours: TBC

 

Perthshire, Scotland

Glass-art icons Lalique and Glenturret, thought to be Scotland’s oldest working distillery, have come together to create The Glenturret Lalique Restaurant, a fine-dining eatery that opened on 28 July. Head Chef Mark Donald, previously of Edinburgh’s Michelin-starred Number One at The Balmoral, has created a seasonal multi-course tasting menu (including a vegetarian option) with a focus on local and foraged produce. The drinks offer is just as impressive, with a range of fine wine and more than 250 whiskies to choose from, plus a mouth-watering bar menu with options such as Orkney Scallop and Glenturret haggis Scotch egg. Housed within the distillery itself, it lies within the Perthshire countryside, beside the River Turret.

Capacity: 30 covers

Hours: Main restaurant open Tuesday to Saturday, Sunday is afternoon tea only. Dinner service from 6pm – 10pm

 

Cardiff, Wales

Neighbourhood Kitchen and Cocktails

Bringing an ever-changing menu of local food venders to Cardiff is Neighbourhood Kitchen, which opened its community-loving doors in June 2021.  There will be a different street food on offer each month, ranging from Asian fusion to Venezuelan dishes, as well as a range of tempting drinks, from local beers to a wine list from Gays Who Wine. Under a ten-minute walk from Cardiff Central station and the Principality Stadium, future visitors can look forward to grabbing a taste of the city like a local.

Capacity: 27-cover eatery

Hours: 8am – late, Wednesday to Saturday

 

Restrictions on travel to and around Britain are in place due to Covid-19. Visitors are encouraged to always check individual websites for the latest information, as details are subject to change.

VisitBritain Media Team

For more information contact:

VisitBritain Media Team

pressandpr@visitbritain.org

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