Batman ends: London’s Park Row closes
The Soho-based 18,000sq ft venue was home to The Iceberg Lounge (pictured above) and its 20-cover tasting menu-only immersive counterpart The Monarch Theatre (pictured below). Bookings platform Opentable has suspended bookings, listing both dining experiences as closed.
In a statement, owner Wonderland Restaurants said: "After two and a half incredible years in Soho, Park Row served its last Gotham ‘39 cocktail at 77 Brewer Street on 8 April, as the DC-inspired experience closes its doors."
The company said that it was preparing to open The Monarch Theatre at a new location in London later this year.
"Wonderland, Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment, and the entire Park Row team thank the DC fans and dining enthusiasts who’ve enjoyed the culinary journey over the years," the statement added.
"Stay tuned for more news on relocation of The Monarch Theatre, to be announced shortly."
The Monarch Theatre was an ambitious restaurant sat within a box inside Park Row that served a multi-course tasting menu. It featured floor-to-ceiling screens and 360-degree projection mapping to tell a story from the Batman universe that was aligned with dishes on the menu, which included a ‘poisonous’ mushroom; and edible jewellery.
Park Row was launched in 2021 by a team led by former The Fat Duck CEO James Bulmer following a licensing deal with DC Comics.
Located in the huge subterranean Art Deco building that was once home to Marco Pierre White’s Titanic, it was billed as a fully-immersive DC universe-inspired venue inspired by some of the Batman comics' most famous characters, including The Penguin, Harley Quinn, The Joker and Catwoman.
It was not well-received by critics with The Guardian Grace Dent saying it reminded her of a failed Christmas grotto and that “even a hedge fund manager in an advanced state of refreshment would spot this as a massive, cynical waste of money”.
Late last year the Brewer Street venue relaunched its main 200-cover dining area as a Japanese concept.
Overseen by executive chef Raymond Steplin, formerly of Dinings SW3, the modern Japanese menu featured sharing plates of youkoso, salads, small plates, kushiyaki skewers, tempura, gyoza and bao, as well as sashimi, caviar, oysters and large plates of miso black cod and wagyu steaks.
“We are delighted to introduce the second chapter at Park Row, The Iceberg Lounge and tell a new story at our Gotham City home,” Bulmer said at the time. “The Iceberg Lounge will provide guests with a fun, immersive and experiential dining experience with exceptional food and drink to match.”
It is understood that Park Row consistently struggled to fill its enormous dining room, prompting the recruitment of a number of chefs that came and went including Alyn Williams and Kim Woodward.
