Ember London is a new hidden bar, dining and late night destination in Monument. It has pooled the talents of top chefs, mixologists and sommeliers to create an innovative drinking and gastronomic experience, with every dish on the menu designed to be paired with items from the extensive cocktail, sake, rare spirits and wine list.
Located at one of London’s most famous locations on Pudding Lane where the Great Fire of London started in 1666. The venue’s name references this event and 2016, the year Ember opened, marks the 350th anniversary of the fire.
The bar offers five unique spaces. The Main Bar is designed for dining and is complete with a DJ booth for after-hours partying in the lead up to the weekend. Its décor evokes the venue’s industrial past, with exposed pillars, warm leather booths and marble and rustic wood top tables.
The Cellar Bar offers a more relaxed experience for small-group gatherings along with its own private room The Vault, which provides guests with a secluded self- service bar, for those that do not want to be disturbed. The main bar includes two further private rooms, each with their own independent identity and unique design features.
The food menu is an innovative collection of Asian-influenced contemporary small plates and sharing bowls, focussing on Vietnamese, Singaporean and Thai dishes created by Executive Chef Jonathan Villar. The cuisine blends European and Asian gastronomy, combining ingredients and flavour profiles.
Key signature dishes from the menu include crispy Char Sui Pork Doughnuts served with Hoisin-Black Treacle, melt-in-the-mouth Steamed Slow-Roasted Berkshire Pork Belly & Bao Buns or Grilled Waygu Beef & Foie Gras Burger served in an Avocado Bun with smoked Miso Relish, Streaky Bacon, Sriracha Mayonnaise & melted Gruyere.
The bar team have applied a ‘light to dark’ philosophy to their notable cocktail drinks menu with beverages designed to be consumed throughout different parts of the day. ‘
Embers also hosts an exciting collection of rare spirits, focusing on whisky, rum and cognacs, often sourced by auction and beautifully displayed throughout the venue for guests to peruse at leisure. Examples include the famous marine-rationed Black Tot Royal Navy, blended from the last stocks of the official Navy rum and held in storage since 1970. The most renowned Croizet Cognac house has offered Ember a bottle from their very rare collection the Croziet Grande Reserve 1928.
Wine and sake sommelier Jean-Louis Naveilhan, who is as rare as the spirits, and only one of five based in London, has created an exciting sake list spanning 20 different varieties for guests to sample. The wine menu has a global outlook, focusing predominantly on French, Italian and South African wines, boasting over 120 countries and regions, and the finest hand-picked small batches.