Openings this week: Walkers of Whitehall, Calcutta Street, Chicama and more
A look at the latest restaurants, hotels, pubs and bars to open their doors
Walkers of Whitehall
The City Fund Pub Company has relaunched Walkers of Whitehall after extensive refurbishment. The three-storey venue, located just south of Trafalgar Square in London, features a first-floor pub, a dining room and a basement cocktail bar. The site was originally built as a bank in 1694, and its historical character has been retained throughout the refurbishment.
The venue serves craft beers including Fourpure, Renegade and Harpoon, as well as an extensive cocktail list. The cocktail bar is located in the former bank vaults of the building and has been fitted with an arched, embossed pewter ceiling.
The dining room has banquette seating and an open-plan kitchen serving a menu designed to make the most of the robata grill. Meat, fish and vegetables are cooked over English charcoal, with influences from Argentina to the Middle East.
Reopened 12 August
General manager Birke Bassen
Executive chef Stephen Gadd
Covers Pub: 26 seated, 50 standing; dining room: 30 seated, 40 standing; cocktail bar: 49 seated, 100 standing
Typical dishes Beef short rib with chipotle glaze; and charred cauliflower with tahini
Websitewww.walkersofwhitehall.co.uk
Polpo
Polpo has opened its newest ‘bacaro' in Bristol, serving simple food and young northern Italian wines like its sister restaurants. It is modelled on the scruffy wine bars of Venice and features a reclaimed timber floor, rusted tin ceiling and a huge skylight.
Owners Russell Norman and Richard Beatty
Covers Inside: 60; outside: 20
Typical dishes Spicy pork and fennel meatballs; arancini; and chopped chicken liver crostini
Websitewww.polpo.co.uk
Calcutta Street
This home-dining concept by Shrimoyee Chakraborty has opened in Fitzrovia, London, offering dishes that combine modern flavours with authentic Bengali dishes. The downstairs dining room offers an authentic Bengali home dining experience in an intimate setting.
Covers Approximately 62
General manager Jean Dulck
Head chefs Yunis Khan and Shrimoyee Chakraborty
Websitewww.calcuttastreet.com
Chicama
Peruvian-inspired seafood restaurant Chicama, from the team behind Pachamama, has opened in Chelsea, west London. Chicama champions fresh seafood and seasonal vegetables using British ingredients and traditional Peruvian techniques.
Pachamama group head chef Tiago Duarte
Bar manager Remi Satony-Bena
Typical dishes Sea bream with grilled peach; and salmon with red quinoa, coconut and mango
Websitewww.chicamalondon.com
Firebrand Pizza
Firebrand Pizza has opened in Marylebone, London, offering a selection of pizzas from the wood-fired oven. The interior features exposed brick, parquet table tops, leather Chesterfield seating and industrial bar stools.
Director Guy Holmes
Covers 40
Typical dishes Pesto, roast potato, rosemary, pine nut and mozzarella pizza; wild mushroom risotto; and Gorgonzola gnocchi
Websitewww.firebrandpizza.co.uk
Hilton Edinburgh Carlton
The Hilton Edinburgh Carlton, owned and operated by Amaris Hospitality, has opened after a £17m refurbishment. Overlooking the Royal Mile, and within walking distance of St Giles' Cathedral, the hotel has a Marco Pierre White Steakhouse and Grill and seven dedicated meeting spaces.
Bedrooms 211
General manager Claire Livingston
Starting room rate Approximately £190
Websitewww.hilton.com
MOD Pizza
After opening its first UK site in Leeds, the second MOD Pizza has opened in Brighton's Marina. MOD allows customers to build their own pizza or salad, with a choice of 34 ingredients. Pizzas are cooked in four minutes and salads are hand-tossed in front of customers. The price of a dish is always £7.47.
Covers 86
General managers Mark Hamer and Basia Markwitz
Websitewww.modpizza.co.uk