St Barts Brewery opens in West Smithfield
The 120-cover, split-level restaurant offers modern British classics from breakfast to dinner alongside craft beers, guest ales, Meantime’s London Fresh Lager direct from the brewery, wines and ciders.
Owned by the Hush Heath Estate from Stapelhurst, Kent, St Barts Brewery showcases the company’s sparkling Balfour Brut Rosé, red, rosé and white wines and a range of ciders from Jake’s Orchard, which can all be sampled at the Balfour Bar on the first floor.
Modern British food
The kitchen is headed by head chef Kalifa Diakhaby, who previously worked at L’Oranger under Jason Atherton, with Stephen Terry at Cecconi’s, but also at Malmaison before becoming head chef at Bistro du Vin and the Fox and Anchor.
His menu for St Barts Brewery revolves around classic British food with modern European influences.
Starters include roast king scallops with cauliflower and caramelised pineapple, devilled chicken wings with BBQ mayo or English cured meats with bread and pickles.
For mains, St Barts offers the likes of a prawn and lobster burger with Marie-Rose and frites, pan-fried sea bass with grilled fennel and sweetcorn salsa and a sharing mixed grill featuring Smithfield sausages, double Somerset pork chops, Cornish barnsley chop, lamb’s kidneys, rib-eye steak, roast bone marrow, duck eggs, grilled beef tomato, grilled Portobello mushrooms, frites and sauces for £45.
The dessert menu includes blackcurrant jelly and vanilla ice cream, chocolate pot with shortbread and Cambridge burnt cream and lemon Madeleine. The restaurant also offers a full breakfast menu and a weekend brunch to be launched shortly.
Interiors
Created by Katrine Bradley – previously design director of Malmaison and Hotel du Vin, the venue’s interior includes a bar and lounge on the main ground floor, reclaimed wooden floors, mismatched tables and chairs created from old factory tables and movie set-style lights hanging from the corniced ceiling.
The panelled wood-topped bar features an antique mirror and vintage copper piping, as well as Meantime copper tanks.
The mezzanine level allows diners to look down on the bar below, and features grey velvet banquette seating and wall lights made from vintage barometers. The Balfour Bar has reclaimed parquet flooring and an acid treated copper-topped bar with industrial lights.
Music and dancing
St Barts Brewery’s ground floor lounge will also host regular music nights, and the venue is set up to allow dancing.
Laura Farley, St Barts marketing manager, told BigHospitality: “St Bart's Brewery is a 120-cover luxe British diner, lounge, bar and a buzzing live music venue with something for everyone, great drinking, dining, live music and dancing.
“The luxe industrial interiors and large windows which flood the space with light lend the space an inviting and buzzy atmosphere. You can choose from a cosy seat in the lounge area or a table with a view on the mezzanine level or you can hide away in the upstairs Balfour Bar with a glass of English wine.
“You will be able to come in the morning for a coffee, breakfast and the papers or pop in mid-morning to sit with your laptop and a drink. It is perfect for a business lunch or cocktails with friends after work in the upstairs Balfour Bar or you can book for dinner followed by dancing.”
