Eat & Drink
Originally published on Tuesday, 26th October 2010
Meat Up
Jamie Oliver’s Barbecoa leads London’s latest carnivorous trend
What does the City’s new über-mall, One New Change, have in common with its throat-slitting almost-neighbour, Sweeney Todd – the Demon Barber of Fleet Street who turned his victims into pies? The answer, dear readers, is meat.
For within Jean Nouvel’s sleek new retail behemoth (beside the Topshop, Hersheson’s Blow-Dry Bar, Strip, etc.) is Barbecoa, the latest culinary venture from Jamie Oliver and NYC’s BBQ maestro, Adam Perry Lang. Not only does it offer unparalleled views of neighbouring St. Paul’s – but also a veritable feast of slow-barbecued carnivorous goodness. (Not that I’m suggesting Messrs Oliver and Lang are bumping off city-folk in the process or anything.)
Continuing the meatist momentum, the ever-bonkers Bompas and Parr are running an Artisanal Chewing Gum Factory over at Whiteley’s this week with over 200 different flavours including, yes you guessed it, a variety of meaty options (foie gras and passionfruit anyone?). While in Covent Garden, the Hawksmoor chaps are in the midst of soft-launching their second luxury steakhouse – and it’s a subterranean monster; all sexy green banquettes and dark wood alongside those legendary cuts of cow (and incidentally a fabulous Piña Colada).
But proving that creative carnivores have even more tricks up their sleeves, the gents behind the nose-to-tail St. John restaurants are set to enter a whole new market with their first ever St John Hotel. Set in the heart of Leicester Square it boasts tables cast from pigs’ trotters, bedding of compressed bacon, and pillows stuffed with all those squishy bits that usually go into sausages.
Okay, so I made-up that whole last bit.
But then what did you expect from a card-carrying vegetarian?
Info
One New Change opens Oct 28, 12pm, with Barbecoa set to open Nov 3.
Hawksmoor is soft-launching now but booking out muy fast – so reserve well in advance.
The Artisinal Chewing Gum Factory runs Oct 25-31
St. John Hotel will be taking reservations from Dec 1
