Searcys’ Horizon 22 venue reopens following water leak

The Horizon 22 event space in the City of London has now reopened its doors following a temporary closure.

The venue, which is on the 58th floor of the 22 Bishopgate skyscraper, had posted on Instagram on 28 July: “Unfortunately, Horizon 22 will be closed until further notice. All ticket holders have been contacted.

“We apologise for any inconvenience and look forward to welcoming you to Horizon 22 soon.”

That post has since been deleted, with a new post today stating: “Horizon 22 is once again welcoming pre-booked guests to level 58. Thank you for your patience while we got everything back up and running.”

A spokesperson for 22 Bishopsgate confirmed the reason for the closure, telling The Caterer: “We are pleased to confirm that we have informed all our occupiers that 22 Bishopsgate is now open again after a temporary closure following a water leak.  We would like to take this opportunity to apologise again to our occupiers and visitors and for any inconvenience and disappointment the situation may have caused and to thank them for their patience throughout.”

Searcys, which caters the venue, welcomed the reopening, with director of sales and events Rebecca Hawkes saying: “We are delighted that Horizon 22 has reopened.  Located on Level 58 of the City of London’s tallest building, 22 Bishopsgate, Horizon 22 is the highest free public viewing gallery in Europe and offers spectacular, panoramic views of the city.

“With a capacity of up to 280 seated guests or 500 standing, Horizon 22 is an exceptional venue for events and gatherings.  The space can host a wide variety of events, from standing receptions and seated dinners to fashion shows, product launches, filming productions, evening wedding receptions, parties and celebrations.”

In February, Searcys teamed up with chef Alex Dilling, whose restaurant in London’s Hotel Café Royal has two Michelin stars, to launch a new menu.

The collaboration is due run for one year with the possibility to extend, and is called Ascend by Alex Dilling. Dishes developed by Dilling included lobster brioche with charred lemon and basil as well as buttermilk fried chicken with Stilton crème fraîche and celery.

At the time, Dilling said: “The challenge was translating the discipline of a two-Michelin-star kitchen into an events environment where consistency, speed and replication matter just as much as flavour.

“Every dish has been designed to perform operationally, holding well in service, delivering clarity of flavour at scale and allowing teams to execute with confidence, without compromising on ingredient quality or technique.”

Searcys launched Horizon 22 in 2023 and since then has hosted a variety of events for brands including Vodafone and Under Armour.