Chris and Jeff Galvin know a thing or two about the London restaurant business: Chris was at the helm when The Wolseley opened on Piccadilly in 2003, while Jeff earned Soho’s L’Escargot a Michelin star five times in the naughties. The opening of Galvin at Windows on Park Lane saw the Galvins join forces in 2006 and the rest is restaurant history.
But how much do the brothers G know about opening a pub? Well, we’re about to find out as the finishing touches are being put to Galvin HOP, the ‘first Galvin Pub Deluxe’ (replacing what was Galvin Café a Vin in Spitalfields), which is due to open next week. We caught up with Chris Galvin to find out more.
Why did you decide to transform Café a Vin into an upscale pub?
We have to move with the times: Café a Vin was one of the first cafés in Spitalfields, but since it opened in 2009 we’ve been working in an ever-diluting market. There are over 40 such places in the area now and we want a USP for the site, a point of difference. We’ve entered an age of competitive socialising and everybody wants to be seen doing something cool or unique. We want HOP to be a dynamic City destination – we’re swapping jazz for 70s/80s music and a new sound system and it’ll be a very different experience.
What’s the inspiration behind Galvin HOP?
The food and beer culture of Alsace really appeals to me and HOP allows for that experience to be translated in London. There’ll be a Maille mustard pump, which we’ll be slathering on our new hotdogs. When we open there’ll be black truffle mustard and choucroute hotdogs (an Alsatian-style blend of salted, charcuterie and sausage meats), to eat-in or take away from a new serving hatch.
What else can we expect from Galvin HOP?
We’re using Pilsner Urquell delivered once a week fresh from Prague and wines supplied by O. W. Loeb. Adam Byatt uses the same supplier at Trinity LINK in Clapham which gave us the idea: Loeb supply wines in 27-litre foil bags which we’ll connect to wine taps. The bags give the wine more room to swish around in and breathe, while also giving us to access smaller, more interesting batches of wines – we’re making sure the wine side of things is well taken care of at the pub.
Did any other pubs in London or the UK inspire Galvin HOP?
I have certainly admired some of the most recent openings on the London pub scene, including the nearby Culpeper on Commercial Street and The Drapers Arms in Islington. They’ve done very well and are certainly inspiring to us.
You’ve taken over The Green Man pub in Chelmsford (above) and Daniel Clifford has opened The Flitch of Bacon not far away in Little Dunmow – what do you make of the attention that Essex is currently getting?
Essex has been described as a ‘gastro desert’ but I’m not sure why. The London commuter belt is expanding with the capital getting so expensive, and I think Essex locals are increasingly up for a great meal out nearby to avoid a schlep to London.
Will you continue to explore business opportunities outside of the capital?
Galvin HOP is our test site for the Galvin Pub Deluxe brand, which we hope to grow across the UK – we may aim for as many as 20 in the next couple of years; we’ll definitely buy five or six in the next year or so.
With The Green Man, Warren (Geraghty, Galvin Restaurants’ executive chef) wanted it to be a British pub, not a gastropub. To me a gastropub is a pub with a restaurant in it and that’s not our aim. We want to open pubs with great service and ambience, where you can have great food but also just a beer at the bar.
What’s next for Galvin?
We have two big announcements still to come this year, one for a London project and another elsewhere in the UK. That’s all I can say for now!
Which was your favourite new restaurant or bar that opened in London last year?
Social Wine & Tapas (above) – I think Jason Atherton is amazing at what he does.
Do you have an all-time favourite London restaurant?
The Square – the techniques, the quality… I’m always happy when I’m there and I always walk away thinking a) the depth of flavour is amazing and b) “how the hell did he do that?”
What about a bar?
The Bar at the Dorchester is a classic bar. They take extraordinary care of mixing and I’ve never had a drink there that’s been less than perfect.
Thanks Chris, we’ll definitely be in for a pint soon...
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This article was published 15 January 2016