Californian-style Roof Deck Restaurant & Bar to open on Selfridges' rooftop
Set to open on 11 April, it will be the seventh collaboration between McDonald and the high-end department store.
The menu has been created by executive chef Steve Tonkin (previously head chef for the opening of Dean Street Townhouse and executive Chef for the Soho House Group), alongside head chef Baran Baltaci (formerly senior sous chef at The Ivy), and executive pastry chef Siobhan Ambrose (previously of Aria Restaurant in Sydney and Scott’s) on desserts.
Set to open throughout spring and summer from 11am, the site will serve an all-day dining menu focused on salads, grains, fresh fish and seafood with a Latin influence.
Typical dishes will include tuna ceviche, with kohlrabi, avocado, cilantro, and bonito flakes; almond and nigella seed hummus with seasonal vegetables and flat bread; and black kale with chicory, spelt, scorched feta, and a honey mustard dressing.
Main courses will include charred monkfish, with scallops and bacon; summer vegetable freekeh with habanero dressing; and free range chicken paillard with heritage tomatoes, fennel, capers, and olives.
Desserts are set to feature lime and coconut meringue pie, and an avocado and pistachio ice cream sandwich.
Original cocktails and bar snacks
The Outdoor Terrace bar will have a separate entrance, with cocktails including the Green Cucumber and Chilli Margarita (a blend of Tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice, cucumber, Habanero chilli and chilli salt) and the Watermelon Martini with vodka, fresh watermelon juice and homemade syrup.
There will also be a selection of wines, non-alcoholic cocktails, and two house beers: Pacifico Clara from Mexico and Sierra Nevada from California.
Bar snacks will include the smoked eggplant dip, jalapeño cornbread, San Francisco sourdough, cocoa and molasses pumpernickel, with whipped ash butter.
Beach bar vibes
Décor-wise, the site will include a boardwalk entrance lined with timber beams, leading to relaxed terrace seating with low-hanging wicker lighting, sanded parquet for ‘beach bar vibes’, and a more-private ‘cabana’, with hanging drapes and twinkling light decorations.
The space will also offer views across London.
“The Selfridges rooftop is a true destination,” says Hannah Bass, Selfridges restaurants director. “We will be bringing the cool, calm Californian vibe to the roof, which we hope all our customers will enjoy.”
“I’m delighted to be working with Selfridges on a new concept for the roof this spring and summer,” says Des McDonald. “I’ve spent a lot of time in California and enjoy the fresh, healthy attitude to food so I’m excited to bring this to London.”
Des McDonald, who was previously head chef at The Ivy and CEO of Caprice Holdings, has operated six other rooftop concepts at Selfridges, including On the Roof with Q, Vintage Salt, Forest on the Roof, and Le Chalet.
The group also operates the Holborn Dining Room, the Vintage Salt fish and chips group, and the Q Grill in Camden.
