When London Museum opens in its new home – the former Smithfield General Market building in the Square Mile, which has been closed for three decades – in November, drinking and dining will be at its heart. It’s just been announced that Robin Gill (Darby’s, Sorella, etc), along with hospitality group Green & Fortune, will lead the museum’s culinary side, which will include an all-day restaurant, a coffee house, a bar by Mr Lyan (Lyaness, Seed Library) and an incubator kitchen for up-and-coming chefs. All will celebrate London’s culinary history, from its pie shops to its oyster bars and bakeries.
At the museum’s centre will be Clerk’s House, a 140-cover dining room and bistro on the ground floor. It’ll be open from breakfast till dinner, with afternoon tea, weekend brunches and Sunday roasts in between, all celebrating the building’s history as a meat market. Lamb and beef from Green & Fortune’s own farm in Northumberland will sit on the menu alongside pies, a mutton stew with barley and root vegetables, and Gill’s take on the Billingsgate sandwich, a sarnie traditionally served at Billingsgate fish market of hand-dived scallop, crispy smoked bacon and scallop roe butter. For drinks, expect wines from new- and old-world producers, and skin contact drops from boutique labels.
Then there’s Bartholomew’s, a bar with drinks by Mr Lyan Studio that’ll be accessible from the street. Its name nods to the ancient Bartholomew Fair, a summer festival held in Smithfield for more than 700 years (and banned in 1855 for being too rowdy). The menu will change to reference the museum’s seasonal events and exhibits – first up, a nod to the London Tastes programme, which will pay tribute to the capital’s rich (and often gritty) food history. There’ll also be a house shandy and lager, and a food menu of fancy pub snacks.
Then there’s the Temperance Cocoa Rooms – a revival of Lockhart’s Cocoa Rooms, an alcohol-free concept that started in the north in the 1870s before expanding down to London, including Smithfield Market. During renovations, the coffee house was uncovered and its features – including Edwardian ceramic tiles with buttercup illustrations – retained. It’ll serve coffee from Peckham’s Old Spike, plus hot chocolate, ginger beer, mocktails and late-night floats, as well as pastries, hot breakfasts, soups and toasties. From Thursday to Sunday it’ll be open around the clock, serving night owls, shift workers and those seeking an after-dark space to enjoy beyond pubs and bars.
Finally, there’s The Roost, which will host emerging talent for six-month residencies, with Gill, Green & Fortune’s chef-director Dan Rampat and a panel of judges selecting each concept. During the day chefs will serve a takeaway menu, and in the evenings the space will transform into a 14-seat restaurant.
“We want to curate an experience that reflects the vibrancy of London and tell London's story through food,” Gill said in a statement. “We’ll be partnering with the best London producers and nurturing up-and-coming talent.”
London Museum and its food and drink outlets open on November 28.
