In the wake of a varied Christmas trading period for the retail sector, the clouds of recession seem to have well and truly bypassed the London restaurant scene.
In the wake of a varied Christmas trading period for the retail sector, the clouds of recession seem to have well and truly bypassed the London restaurant scene.
Late 2010 and early 2011 saw huge investment in the capital’s hospitality industry, not least of all the £220m refurbishment of the Savoy Hotel which re-opened it’s doors in October. With countless other high profile openings over the last few months London’s message is clear… recession or no recession, the customers are here and they’re ready and willing to spend.
Wine by the glass is higher on the ‘refit agenda’ of hotels and bars than ever before and we are delighted to report that Le Verre de Vin is the preservation system of choice for just about every high profile new opening! In the last 5 months alone Bermar engineers have installed over 40 Le Verre de Vin systems in Greater London including the fantastic:
Roux at Parliament Square The Roux family has championed the use of Le Verre de Vin technology in each of their flagship restaurants since the early 90’s. Michel Roux Jnr’s 2nd London restaurant is no different; with Le Verre de Vin at the heart of a fabulous ‘by the glass’ service.
Buenos Aires Restaurant
Renowned for serving some of the finest steak in London… the five restaurants spread across London are also a haven for all things ‘Argentinean’, Messi, Samba and a vibrant South American atmosphere.
Bar Boulud at The Mandarin Oriental, Hyde Park Daniel Boulud, whose culinary empire spans the globe and includes the renowned 3 Michelin star restaurant ‘Daniel’ in New York, has recently opened his latest venture in the heart of Knightsbridge. As with all his establishments, Le Verre de Vin technology lies at the heart of an excellent ‘by the glass’ list – in this case, stretching to nearly 40 choices.
Bistro Bruno Loubet
Located in the trendy Zetter Hotel, where even the colour of the lights in your room can be changed from shocking pink to cool blue, Bruno Loubet has applied his renowned creative skills to this new Asian and North African inspired Bistrot in the heart of London’s Clerkenwell. The ‘by the glass’ offer extends to 30 choices, 14 of which are available in three different sized carafes. Awarded J Rayner’s restaurant of the year it is set to become yet another Le Verre de Vin flagship site.
The Savoy Hotel Le Verre de Vin was first installed at the Savoy in 2001 and, since the £220 million refurbishment, is once again the preservation system of choice in the American Bar and the chic new art deco, Beaufort Bar which boasts “one of the widest choices of Champagne by the glass”.
Cassis Bistro
A new restaurant that has been widely praised for bringing something completely new to the London restaurant scene. The operation combines the finest Provencale cuisine with a relaxed and modern setting…and of course a fantastic wine by the glass offer.
The Lanesborough Hotel World renowned for first rate service and dining, the hotel was awarded the 2010 award for Best Small City Hotel in Europe. The hotel took delivery of their new Le Verre de Vin systems in January this year and put them to good use, underpinning a fabulous offer of 30 wines by the glass including Krug ‘by the flute’ at £65.
Four Seasons, Canary Wharf
Located at the heart of London’s vibrant business district, the Quadrato restaurant which has been hailed as one of Canary Wharf’s most stylish eateries, took delivery of a Le Verre de Vin late last year.
The Cinnamon Club, Westminster
At the heart of Westminster, The Cinnamon Club offers a truly fantastic and unique dining experience. European style meets Indian haute cuisine and the resulting dishes dishes feature on a constantly changing menu and are complemented by a beautifully sympathetic, matched wine list.
These operations are run by some of the British hospitality trade’s most savvy operators; they will no doubt have reviewed all the options available to them before choosing the wine preservation solution for their business …. and in EVERY case, Le Verre de Vin was their preservation system of choice!. It doesn’t end there either! … we have more high profile London installations coming in February so keep your eyes peeled for more news.
Given that we’re inclined to believe the old adage that London is a good economic barometer for the rest of the country, you’ll understand why Team Bermar are cautiously optimistic about prospects for the UK hospitality trade during 2011.