On 22 November, LINO, a new bar and all-day restaurant in a former linoleum and carpet warehouse in London's Square Mile, will open its doors.
The Wright & Bell team have created a space with a shared emphasis on innovative drinks and dishes, with Richard Falk (pictured), formerly head chef at Clapham’s much-loved The Dairy, heading up the kitchen and taking an in-house approach to everything from cocktails to charcuterie.
A stone’s throw from St. Bart’s Hospital, tucked behind Smithfield Market, LINO is housed in a former linoleum and carpet warehouse, clad in original brown glazed tiles.
Stepping through the 12-foot high double doors that acted as the building’s entrance, guests will be greeted by a clover-shaped, waxed tulipwood bar - designed by the team themselves - that forms the centerpiece of the room. The bar will be lined with shelves of craft spirits and jars of house ferments, to be mixed into cocktails including witty takes on kitsch favorites such as the Snowball.
Sarah Clark of Wright & Bell, said, “We’re opening LINO in an incredible space, in a beautiful building with an industrial heritage. Both a bar and a restaurant, LINO has been designed with its guests and its team in mind, taking a new, considered approach to drinking and dining in the City.”
The kitchen will use low-waste ingredients across the all-day menu, with Richard drawing on his time at The Ledbury and behind the pass at The Dairy. Dishes on the lunch and dinner menu will include Sauerkraut and Montgomery cheddar croquettes, and larger orders such as Belted Galloway wing rib of beef, with oxtail and potato tart, for two to share.
On the dessert menu, Falk will utilise left-over pastries from the breakfast kiosk for a Croissant ice cream, with brown butter, blood orange and coffee. He said, “LINO will be the perfect spot for everything from stopping by for cocktails on a Friday night, to settling in to share a few plates for dinner.
'A great bar deserves food to match, with a care for produce and ingredients – I’m looking forward to creating everything from scratch, be it botanical infusions for cocktails or bread freshly baked in-house.”
