St James’s Market has re-defined eating out in St James’s since the first restaurants began to launch last autumn – and now it’s ready to have its official opening.
From 5-9 July, five of the restaurants will each be hosting a pop-up bar on a different day, with live music curated by Classical Pop-Ups for Classic FM. What could be a more relaxing way to decide where to eat than wandering around the Market with a cocktail in hand, enjoying uplifting music from classical performers, before sitting down to dinner at one of the best new restaurants in London?
Each of the restaurants in St James’s Market specialises in a different global cuisine, from the Venetian sharing plates at Veneta to modern Scandinavian cooking at Aquavit, contemporary West African at Ikoyi and sophisticated Japanese at Anzu. Read on to find out where you’d most like to eat – or why not try them all?
And for something lighter, drop into the Urban Tea Rooms for British tapas and handmade cakes, or Denmark’s coolest bakers, Ole & Steen, for coffee, pastries and sandwiches. Both are open throughout the week.
Wednesday 5 July: Ikoyi (above)
The newest restaurant to open in St James’s Market is named after a cosmopolitan neighbourhood in Lagos, Nigeria, and draws inspiration from a progressive fusion of West African culinary traditions. Tipped to be the next big thing.
The Ikoyi bar will run from 5-8pm, with music from Street Orchestra London and Classical Pop-Ups Ensemble, featuring Jason Evans
Thursday 6 July: Anzu (above)
From the team behind the Tonkotsu ramen chain, elegant Anzu is an altogether smarter proposition. An à la carte brasserie-style menu makes choosing a three-course meal easy, and there’s a brilliant sake selection, too.
The Anzu bar will run from 5-8pm, with music from violinist Kerenza Peacock and Classical Pop-Ups Strings
Friday 7 July: Veneta (above)
Aiming to bring the vibes of St Mark's Square to St James’s Market, stylish Veneta offers small plates of classic Venetian cooking: seasonal seafood, artisan charcuterie and cheeses, northern Italian pasta dishes and T-bone steaks to share.
The Veneta bar will run from 5-8pm, with music from Superbrass
Saturday 8 July: Aquavit (above)
The world has become obsessed with all things Scandi in recent years, and Aquavit allows diners to fully immerse themselves in Nordic style, from superb design to cleanly flavoured, on-trend modern cooking.
The Aquavit bar will run from 12N-2pm and 4-7pm, with music from Blue Topaz String Trio (lunch) and vocal music from Coro (evening)
Sunday 9 July: Urban Tea Rooms (above)
An all-day eatery that segues from cakes to cocktails? Count us in. Daytimes see egg and avocado breakfasts, lunches of sandwiches and salads, plus cakes baked in house; candlelit evenings are all about British tapas and tea-based cocktails.
The Urban Tea Rooms bar will run from 12N-2pm, with music from the Bella Tromba Quartet
To find out more, click here
This article was published 4 July 2017