This month, Broadgate Circle in the City will welcome the opening of eleven restaurants and food and drink outlets, to become London’s newest drinking and dining destination. As part of an extensive redevelopment of the area, the new restaurants will participate in a dynamic programme of food, drink and cultural events open to the public throughout the summer months.
Concept View of the new Broadgate Circle redevelopment
World-renowned Hakkasan Group has chosen the new development for the second site of Michelin-starred dim sum teahouse, Yauatcha City, and its first standalone patisserie, Yauatcha Patisserie. Playing host to cuisines from across the world, Broadgate Circle will see Jose Pizarro open his first site away from Bermondsey together with the launch of new restaurant Crab Tavern, both alongside openings from Aubaine, Comptoir Libanais, Franco Manca, Shoryu Ramen, Beany, Sandwich and Street Dots’ ever-changing line-up of street food trucks. Additionally, ETM Group will open a sister site to The Botanist, which is set to be Broadgate Circle’s primary late-night venue (see ETM to open second Botanist in Broadgate Circle.)
Each month, guests are invited to join bespoke master classes, demonstrations and wine tastings hosted by each restaurant.
The restaurants will surround an expansive circular terrace, perfect for summer dining. Ample outdoor seating will be interspersed with greenery and floral displays, offering a sun-filled haven in the midst of the City. Every quarter, it will play host to an engaging programme of events, from a mass-participation cocktail master class with renowned mixologist Tony Conigiliaro to a “Broadgate Bake Off” which will see whisks and spatulas flying as the best of the City take over Broadgate Circle to showcase their ‘Showstoppers’, judged by a well known panel.
Weekends will see Broadgate Circle celebrate the best of artisan British produce, hosting a truly ‘London’ Farmer’s Market each month with all stalls to retail ingredients and products sourced within the M25.
Broadgate Circle will not only showcase food and drink events, but offer a cultural line-up with an eclectic programme suited for all the family. Summer Live will launch in June through to the end of October incorporating a mix of live sport screenings, theatrical performances, foodie film screenings, contemporary productions and children’s activities.
As part of Summer Live, a series of open-air foodie film screenings in Exchange Square will make for an epicurean experience with the option to collect a gourmet picnic or takeaway from the likes of Jose, Aubaine and Yauatcha Patisserie, or dine in Broadgate Circle pre or post-film. As an Archikids festival partner, Broadgate will host a range of architectural-themed activities for families on 25-26 July. London Contemporary Theatre will stage open-air performances of Wind in the Willows and Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. Alongside this, Broadgate will host the City of London Festival from 22nd – 27th June.
AUBAINE
Opening its ninth London site, Aubaine will bring simple but elegant Parisian luxury to the City. Open from breakfast through to dinner, Aubaine will provide flexible all-day dining in a congenial environment. A restaurant, boulangerie and patisserie tied into one, customers can visit for coffee and pastry, afternoon tea, cocktails or rustic and contemporary French cuisine for lunch and dinner.
Christopher Bloomfield, area manager: “Aubaine is thrilled to be opening at Broadgate Circle and be part of the most exciting dining hub in the heart of the City. The location between Liverpool Street Station and the future Crossrail provides ultimate convenience and will allow Broadgate Circle to become a dynamic and vibrant destination for all Londoners.”
BEANY
Founded by ex-UBS director Prue Freeman – who worked in Broadgate for ten years – independent Australian coffee shop Beany will serve brunch, bold healthy salads, wraps and award-winning banana bread. Channelling Bondi in the City, street art installations will form the backdrop to a relaxed Antipodean cafe furnished with deck chairs and offering a menu of in-house made goodies available to eat in or takeaway.
COMPTOIR LIBANAIS
Offering fast, healthy and affordable Lebanese food to eat in or takeaway, Comptoir will be open for breakfast through to dinner and drinks. Breakfast such as organic yoghurt topped with pomegranate and orange blossom water will be followed by light lunches or sharing feasts for lunch or dinner with mezzes, wraps or tagines before authentic dessert of baklawa.
Tony Kitous, founder: “We’re really looking forward to opening in Broadgate Circle as a lot of our loyal guests work and live in the area. We’re honoured and excited to be part of the new dining destinations in the heart of the City.”
CRAB TAVERN
Opening in June, new concept Crab Tavern takes the classic American combination of surf and turf to offer house specialities such as crab doughnuts, cheddar stuffed bacon burger and Singapore crab.
FRANCO MANCA
Widely acknowledged as serving some of the best pizza in London, Franco Manca will open an 80-cover restaurant, the eleventh site for the group. Made from slow-rising sourdough, each pizza is baked in a wood burning ‘Tufae’ brick oven made on-site by Neapolitan artisans. The technique used by Franco Manca gives each pizza the soft, flavoursome crust for which it is so renowned.
Giuseppe Mascoli, founder: “We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to open up a pizzeria in such an iconic City location.”
JOSE PIZARRO
Launching on 1st May, celebrated Spanish chef José Pizarro will open his third restaurant – and his first outside Bermondsey. José Pizarro will offer all-day fresh, seasonal twists on Spanish classics including Salted Cod with Orange and Fennel and his now famous Pork Presa. Breakfasts and take-away will also be on offer, alongside a sensational collection off wines, beers and cavas.
José Pizarro: “In many ways this is the most important restaurant launch of my entire career. I cannot wait to cater for new audiences in a new area of London and show them the many delights of modern Spanish cooking.”
SHORYU RAMEN
The Shoryu Ramen Restaurant Group, who specialise in authentic Kyushian cuisine, will launch their fourth restaurant in the Broadgate Circle. The restaurant will continue to offer their signature Hakata tonkotsu ramen, Shoryu buns and royal warrant sake but with the addition of robata grill and sushi bar for a more luxurious dining experience. Created by chef Kanji Furukawa – who was born and raised in Hakata – Shoryu’s authentic ramen has won critical acclaim from AA Gill and Jay Rayner, as well as recommendations in the Michelin Guide 2014 and 2015.
THE BOTANIST
ETM Group will open a sister restaurant to Sloane Square’s much-loved The Botanist. Set over two floors, the new venue boasts a bar serving a selection of seasonal cocktails alongside a range of fine wines and beers. The elegant restaurant will offer a classic British and European menu as well as subterranean club, Soda Room, open until 2am and serving as Broadgate Circle’s primary late night venue
Tom Martin, founder: “British Land and GIC understand what makes a great environment, we are really impressed at both the quality of the development and the calibre of brands involved. The Botanist on Sloane Square is one of our two busiest London bar / restaurants and the brand is ideally suited to the clientele of Broadgate and The City in general. We are delighted to bring this highly successful format to such a prominent and prestigious City location”.
SANDWICH
For a quick and delicious meal to go, Street Kitchen’s popular vintage Airstream offers honest, simple and healthy breakfasts and gourmet bistro-style lunch boxes. Alongside is Street kitchen’s new sandwich shop using sustainable British ingredients.
STREET DOTS
Street Dots will source the very best of London’s street food trucks for Broadgate Circle. Providing a location for the next generation of chefs, the street food options will change on a daily basis, giving local workers a never-ending variety of quality vendors to choose from.
YAUATCHA CITY & YAUATCHA PATISSERIE
The esteemed Hakkasan Group has chosen this new development for the second site of Michelin-starred Yauatcha, and launch its first standalone patisserie, Yauatcha Patisserie. The renowned Chinese dim sum teahouse will open Yauatcha City over two floors at Broadgate Circle. Led by executive head chef Tong Chee Hwee, the 200-cover all day restaurant will serve Cantonese dishes to mirror those offered in its Soho flagship site.
Below the main restaurant, the first Yauatcha Patisserie will bring together Chinese heritage and modern European cooking techniques to provide an offering of macarons, petits gateaux and chocolates.
Didier Souillat, Executive Vice President of Restaurants for Hakkasan Group: “We chose Broadgate Circle for our second Yauatcha restaurant in the UK because it serves an exceptional catchment and its strong trading profile makes it an obvious choice for us. We know Broadgate will provide a sound platform to continue to grow our brand.”
