Bellanger, in Islington Green, the much-loved neighbourhood restaurant, will relaunch on 1 June, offering South-Mediterranean food, a renovated cocktail bar and a private dining room. The relaunch, overseen by the The Wolseley Hospitality Group, follows the reopening of the restaurant in 2020.
It will mark a complete refurbishment for the restaurant with a new bar, evening entertainment and an evolving seasonal menu taking inspiration from the southern Mediterranean coastal regions; from Andora in Spain, through the Cotes De Provence and into La Spezia in Italy.
Guests can expect starters such as provençal goats’ cheese salad’ with thyme honey and herbes de Provence, carpaccio of candy beetroot, with caramelised walnuts, heritage tomato panzanella, with cucumbers, olives and sourdough croutons, and a steak tartare with a quail’s egg and sourdough toast.
Main courses feature Andalusian fish stew with squid, clams, mussels, and chorizo, crab Linguine’ with sauce nantua, orzotto primavera with asparagus, peas, broad beans, and wild garlic, canon of lamb with spring vegetables, salsa verde and pan-seared sea bream, with herb couscous, preserved lemon and harissa.
Wolseley Hospitality Group signature classics will include dressed crab, grilled Loch Duart salmon and flat-iron steak frites.
Weekend Brunch will also be served featuring pancakes three ways, an all-day eggs selection, and sandwiches.
Desserts include a cherry and Pistachio semi-freddo with a maraschino cherry compote and raspberry panna cotta.
The once split-level floor has been transformed into a grand single restaurant area running the entire length of the building.
Here, ornate Victorian cornice flows throughout, complimented by a neutral palette and offset with traditional French brasserie-inspired details including red leather brasserie banquette seating, dark wood panelling, artwork and antique brass details.
The large, updated private dining room, now seating up to 46 guests, has an art deco feel with antique mirrors and sage green leather accents.
The new cocktail bar, now found to the left of the entrance, will showcase a traditional mosaic Calacatta marble floor, marble tables and is finished with a pewter bar top. Here, London-based DJ’s will play during the weekend evenings, with sets running each Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
A new snacks selection offers dishes like lemon and ricotta stuffed courgette flowers and house-made foccaccia with rosemary salt and basil pesto.
Cocktails, inspired by the French tradition of L’Apéro, will celebrate ingredients from the Provence region.
Highlights include; Peach a blend of rinquinquin peach aperitif, lillet blanc, crémant de Loire and mediterranean tonic and Espellette,
a contemporary take on a margarita with reposado tequila, lime juice, espelette pepper and agave.
Wines will echo the food menu with a range drawn mostly from the Southern Mediterranean coastal regions.
Bellanger will offer its revised all-day à la carte menus throughout the week with brunch served each weekend.