London Museum is set to become a destination for more than just exhibitions when its new Smithfield home opens in November 2026, with four new food and drink concepts planned as part of the £437m redevelopment.
Opening alongside the museum on 28 November 2026, the new venues range from an all-day bistro to a round-the-clock cafe and an incubator space for emerging food talent. Event caterer Green & Fortune will oversee the four concepts, with chef Robin Gill acting as food curator alongside the company's chef director, Dan Rampat.
The project also sees Green & Fortune team up with the award-winning Mr Lyan Studio on the drinks offering at cocktail bar Bartholomew's, while the four spaces will be designed by Russell Sage Studio in partnership with Green & Fortune. Read on to discover more about each concept.
The hospitality group behind London Museum's new venues
Green & Fortune is an independent London hospitality group known for creating destination restaurants, bars and event spaces that bring together food, drink and culture. The company operates venues including Rotunda at King’s Place and Rose Court Events on the South Bank, and will apply its experience in hospitality and events to the four new concepts at London Museum’s Smithfield home.
A new chapter for old Smithfield
Part of the London Museum's long-awaited move into the historic Victorian General Market following a decade-long restoration of the building, the new site is expected to welcome more than two million visitors each year. Each of the four venues draws on the local area’s history and London’s wider food culture, with inspirations ranging from Smithfield’s market heritage to the capital's pie shops, oyster bars, late-night cafés and modern street-food scene.
Many will have entrances from the street as well as through the museum, attracting both exhibition visitors and those simply looking to eat in the area.
The Flagship: Clerks House
The flagship restaurant, Clerks House will open as a 140-cover all-day restaurant and bistro located on the ground floor of the General Market.
With Robin Gill, of Bar Brasso and Darby’s (among others), leading the food, the Clerks House menu will stretch from breakfast and lunch to afternoon tea and dinner, alongside weekend brunch and Sunday roasts. The food will be rooted in the market’s history, with a focus on seasonal produce and the many cultural influences that have shaped the capital's food scene.
Dishes will include options like mutton stew with barley, root vegetables and fresh herbs, alongside a modern take on the Billingsgate sandwich featuring hand-dived scallop, crispy smoked bacon and scallop roe butter.
Guests can also expect a rotating wine selection featuring small growers, including Old World, New World and skin-contact wines.
![View of Clerks House at the London Museum]()
Beyond the day-to-day restaurant, Clerks House will also host monthly ticketed dinner clubs and events.
Making a return: Temperance Cocoa Rooms
One of the more unusual additions is the Temperance Cocoa Rooms, a cafe inspired by a piece of Smithfield's own history. Open daily, it’s a 24-hour operation from Thursday to Sunday, creating a space for all, from early risers to night owls and post-service crowds. It’s positioned in the former Lockhart’s Cocoa Rooms, which opened in the 1870s as part of the temperance movement, serving as an alcohol-free alternative to pubs. The Smithfield branch served market workers for around 40 years, and its original features, including Edwardian Art Nouveau ceramic tiles decorated with yellow buttercup designs, have been preserved.
This new incarnation revives a sober social space, serving customisable hot chocolates, coffee mocktails, ginger beer and a late-night float menu. Food will include pastries, toasties, soups and hot carved breakfast and lunch sandwiches, alongside a signature tamarind and date spiced Chelsea bun inspired by London's historic spice trade.
The Mr Lyan Cocktail Bar: Bartholomew's
Inspired by London’s energy, grit and glitter, Bartholomew’s will open on the museum’s Farringdon Road perimeter, serving as a more casual destination for food and drinks. The name comes from London’s original summer festival, Bartholomew Fair, which opened in Smithfield for more than 700 years.
The cocktails are curated by Mr Lyan Studio and head of beverage Joe Boxall, taking cues from the London Museum’s seasonal events, programmes, and exhibitions, alongside a permanent ‘London Made’ selection riffing on the city’s history and character.
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There’ll also be a signature seasonal shandy and draught London Museum lager, with food centred on elevated pub classics and snacks.
A platform for talent: The Roost
Completing the restaurant and bar quartet is The Roost, an incubator space designed to give emerging food businesses the opportunity to test their ideas in front of a London audience.
Rotating residencies will run for up to six months, with the space operating as a takeaway concept during the day, then transforming into a more intimate evening restaurant for up to 14 diners.
Residents will be selected through a competitive process, with the judging panel including Robin Gill, Dan Rampat and guest judges. Successful chefs will also receive mentorship covering menu development, marketing, operations and financial management.
The first resident is yet to be announced, with further details expected in the coming months.
Food as part of the museum experience
The four concepts are intended to make the new London Museum as much a destination for eating and drinking as it is for culture and history.
Robin Gill said the ambition was for the food itself to be ‘a reason to visit’, with the project set to work with London producers and emerging talent to tell the city's story through food.
The museum's new Smithfield home also includes hospitality areas, including spaces for Christmas parties and general event venues at the London Museum, with Green & Fortune serving as exclusive catering partner. The restored 150,000 sq ft Victorian General Market can accommodate everything from intimate gatherings to gala dinners, drinks receptions, product launches and large-scale celebrations.
Smithfield has been a place of food and trade for almost a thousand years; the museum's new hospitality programme looks set to continue that tradition, this time with a distinctly modern feel.
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