Battersea Power Station: What new restaurants are in the development
Battersea Power Station is a powerhouse of an area. Though it opened in October 2022, new openings bring even more growth and opportunity to the area all the time.
In the Power Station itself there are a multitude of shops, cafes, restaurants and even a hotel, with many more eateries in the surrounding area. It's a case study of innovation – brands have been chosen with precision and have optimised their working to appeal to a fresh audience.
Add that in with the tube line extension and it makes for an area with a lot of potential.
The biggest of the lot is Arcade Food Hall – the dishes operators JKS have curated are big in flavour, served in a manner that allows for casual dining while also feeling like a treat for the customer. One such dish is the burnt chilli mussel butter flatbread from Thomas Straker. The young chef has translated his upmarket Notting Hill offering into quick dishes that allow customers to have a taste of his TikTok-famous butters.
Scroll down for The Caterer's pick of the restaurants in Battersea Power Station…
Arcade Battersea
After the success of Arcade Food Hall in London's Tottenham Court Road, a second site was set up in Battersea Power Station.
What differs this food hall from others is the ordering system, where a single digital menu with all the options is presented to guests, and dishes are brought to the table – a cross between the food hall experience and restaurant.
The food options are split between 12 operators, such as the aforementioned flatbread from the aptly-named Flat Bread by Thomas Straker, Siu Siu serving Cantonese cuisine, and Hero Indian.
Sitting in the heart of the Power Station, there is no natural light in Arcade Food Hall – to compensate designers Red Deer took inspiration from 1920s glamour and incorporated a warm colour palette. Light fittings were inspired by isolators from the control room of the original power station.
Solis
Like a restaurant within a restaurant, Solis adjoins Arcade Food Hall. Customers can order the steak or chicken dish to the main area, or sit in Solis' designated zone for the full experience.
Opening in October 2023, Solis is the brainchild of Ana Gonçalves and Zijun Meng, the duo behind TĀ TĀ Eatery. It's named after Juan Díaz de Solis, a 16th-century explorer said to have been the first European to land on what is now modern-day Uruguay. Accordingly, the menu takes inspiration from both sides of the Atlantic – meaning steaks, bocadillos, croquetas and piquant sauces.
Searcys
Another October 2023 opening was Searcy's Champagne Bar, which (as the name suggests) serves an extensive list of Champagne and English sparkling wine. Each table has a cheeky ‘press for Champagne' button for guests to request their next pour, and small bites and seafood platters are available to nibble on.
The bar and dining space seats 76 covers with blue velvet furnishings and details of polished brass, while the marble-topped bar seats 15. A semi-private recessed booth is available to book for up to 10 guests.
Joia
The Battersea Art'otel is one of the crowning establishments of the development, spanning 15 floors with Joia at the top, giving a great view out to the rest of the Powerstation. Chef Henrique Sá Pessoa serves a showcase of his culinary heritage, with flavours and cooking techniques from Catalonia and Portugal.
A key dish on Joia's menu is the bacalhau à brás – salted cod, shoestring potatoes, parsley, black olives and a raw egg yolk mixed tableside for diners.
Noci
Your fresh pasta fix can be found at Battersea's Noci, which is the brand's second venue after its Islington iteration. The atmosphere is warm and familiar, with food following the seasons and taking inspiration from Sicilian street food.
The menu is a mix of classics and new favourites, from brown butter cacio e pepe ziti, to brown shrimp and ricotta ravioli with spring onions, cayenne pepper and lemon butter sauce.
Cocktails on tap lead the drinks offering, such as espresso martinis and Aperol spritzes, and there's a selection of Italian wines, which focus on low-intervention producers.
Dishoom
The popularity of the Dishoom brand is unquestionable, with three-hour queues to experience the new Battersea branch during its soft launch.
As with all Dishoom restaurants, this one comes with a story – co-founder Shamil Thakrar grew up with comic books, and so has created one for Battersea in collaboration with illustrator Shazleen Kahn. It shows character Choti Dishoom save her family's café from thugs by travelling to the future.
Comic book artwork lines the walls and the décor has been given a retro-futurist vibe. Dishes exclusive to Battersea include the Bhatti chicken – a cousin to tandoori chicken – and Choti's Punch cocktail with a clarified rose and cardamom lassi and rum.
