Wagamama hits 100 – Unity Kitchen cafe opens in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park – OXO’s Restaurant on The Mount opens at Mount Royale hotel York – St Michaels Hotel & Spa to buy Falmouth Beach Hotel site – Diciannove – a taste of Italy arrives in the city – Madame Gautier Bistro for Kensal Rise – Hall & Woodhouse shortlisted for design awards
wagamama hits 100
wagamama, the japanese-inspired restaurant, has opened its 100th unit, with a new restaurant in Hammersmith and now operates 95 restaurants across the UK. As well as three restaurants in the USA, a central kitchen unit, and the wagamama lounge unit, a unique dining experience for festival-goers
The new Hammersmith restaurant is located in the Old Fire station in Hammersmith, is 6,673 square feet, and will be the first London branch to feature wagamama’s new bar concept.
Glyn House, operations director said: “This is an important milestone for us and we are thrilled to open our 100th unit in London where we opened our first restaurant in 1992 in Bloomsbury. This is an exciting stage for wagamama’s development, as we recently accelerated the group’s expansion programme, with plans to open 15-20 sites per year in the coming years.”
Unity Kitchen cafe opens in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
Unity Kitchen Cafe launched on 27 and 28 July as part of the Open East Festival in the newly redeveloped Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Opening on the first anniversary of the 2012 London Games, Unity Kitchen Cafe welcomes six new employees on board. All are people with disabilities who completed their apprenticeship programme over the last 12-18 months and, for some, this is also their first paid job.
Besides the cafe, there’s also the stunning new events space, available for hire to local community groups and businesses and which is run in partnership with local organisation, Community Links.
For more information click here
OXO’s Restaurant on The Mount opens at Mount Royale hotel York
The Mount Royale Hotel York has opened OXO’s Restaurant on The Mount in a return to the hotel’s traditional family-operated full service dining.
The Oxtoby family have owned and operated the Mount Royale Hotel since 1967 and for many years gained a fine reputation for dining and quality service as OXO’s restaurant. The new OXO’s Restaurant on The Mount is a return to this quality and care serving traditional British and European food with a modern twist.
OXO’s Restaurant on The Mount is offering a choice of dining styles and menus with the focus on local suppliers and ingredients. A new team of long standing members of staff has been brought together with Russell Johnson, head chef, leading the kitchen team.
For more information click here
St Michaels Hotel & Spa to buy Falmouth Beach Hotel site
St Michaels Hotel & Spa, Falmouth have confirmed they are to acquire the site of the former Falmouth Beach Hotel and associated properties.
St Michael’s plans to open – with a target date of 8 August – 29 bedrooms and three well-appointed self-catering apartments that were unaffected by the devastating fire last year.
Nigel Carpenter, owner of St Michaels Hotel & Spa and future owner of the Falmouth beach site said, “We are very excited by the purchase and look forward to welcoming visitors once again in the near future. Collectively, the site is the best in Falmouth right opposite the wonderful blue flag Gyllyngvase Beach. I am sure guests will be delighted to return once they know it has opened for accommodation stays.”
The hotel and apartments will initially operate on a Room Only basis and guests will be invited to take breakfast, dinner and spa treatments at the AA 4-star St Michaels Hotel just 20 metres away.
Diciannove – a taste of Italy arrives in the city
A new Italian restaurant, deli and cicchetti bar will open on 19 New Bridge Street in Blackfriars on
19 September 2013. Located at Crowne Plaza London – The City Hotel, Diciannove is overseen by executive chef Alessandro Bay, who trained under Michelin-starred Giorgio Locatelli, and will offer authentic seasonal Italian dishes alongside a drinks list that features a range of aperitivo Campari and Aperol cocktails.
The 120-cover restaurant, split between the main dining area, deli, bar and a private dining space, has been designed by specialist agency Brand Architects and is stylish and contemporary with an illuminated glass-fronted bar, chestnut leather seating, oak tables and upholstered banquettes.
Available throughout the day and for after-work aperitivo, Diciannove will serve a wide range of sharing dishes including artisan Italian meats and cheeses, homemade pickles, freshly baked breads and fritti dishes that include prawns, calamari and zucchini.
Signature drinks include a selection of ‘twisted negronis’ cocktails in flavours such as rhubarb, Italian and London craft beers as well as an exclusively Italian wine list with bins available by the bottle, half bottle and glass. A wide selection of digestives and grappa also feature.
Diciannove
Crowne Plaza London – The City
19 New Bridge Street, London, EC4V 6DB
Telephone: 020 7438 8052
Madame Gautier Bistro for Kensal Rise
Madame Gautier BISTRO is an exciting new addition to London’s culinary scene, delivering excellence and distinction in traditional French cuisine and wine and set in the heart of Kensal Rise, London.
Chef and Entrepreneur Mark Gautier and his wife Corinne aim to provide a fresh approach to the classic French dining experience by blending a perfectionist’s eye for supreme quality, with relaxed intimate surroundings full of natural familial charm and elegance.
Under the direction of versatile Chef Mark Gautier, the menu is informed by traditional French methods combining the very best, carefully sourced seasonal farm fresh produce. With its convivial staff, inviting interior and relaxed ambiance, Madame Gautier BISTRO offers a truly refreshing and revitalising culinary experience.
Inside the Madame Gautier Experience
The Madame Gautier BISTRO interior features a U-shaped bar, separating the main dining area on one side from the lively French style BAR À VIN on the other which offers a careful selection of wines, spirits and draught beers to be enjoyed as a pre-dinner drink or for those who just want to casually enjoy the ambience of the bistro.
Large paella pans of daily delights offering hot and delicious meals quickly and efficiently are available directly from the TRAITEUR counter to be enjoyed in house, or on the go. The TRAITEUR counter will also feature a fresh selection of meals to reheat and enjoy in the comfort of your own home.
About Mark Gautier
English-born, half-French, Mark Gautier is a classically trained chef who followed in his father’s footsteps, a chef from Nice. Starting from the age of 11 in the kitchen of his mother’s restaurant, Mark then went on to train professionally at the Westminster Hotel & Catering School and has worked extensively in both the UK and France at all levels including 3-star Michelin restaurants in both countries (The Georges V, the Negresco, the Waterside Brasserie, the Savoy and others)
Madame Gautier Bistro, 64-66 Chamberlayne Road, Kensal Rise, London NW10 3JJ
Hall & Woodhouse shortlisted for design awards
Hall & Woodhouse Portishead has been shortlisted in the Restaurant & Bar Design Awards 2013. The pub-restaurant, which was designed by Mackenzie Wheeler Architects & Designers and is built from recycled shipping containers, has been shortlisted in the pub category.
The contemporary two-storey building (above), which pays homage to the marine heritage of its location through design elements, industrial materials and rugged appearance, incorporates 28 shipping containers as key structures and internal ‘rooms’ which serve as private dining rooms or meeting spaces. Opened in November 2012, Hall & Woodhouse Portishead is in a stunning dock-side location, overlooking Portishead Quays Marina, a successful development built around waterside living.
David Hoare from Hall & Woodhouse, comments: “We are delighted to be recognised for our design in such prestigious awards – especially as we’ve come up against some strong competition. The building not only manages to meet the needs of our guests for various occasions but shows our ambition not to simply regurgitate the mundane ‘pub in a box’ but to come up with something original. We get some fantastic comments from guests and slowly Hall & Woodhouse Portishead is becoming a key part of the local community – fingers crossed for the final results in September”.