This December, Company of Cooks will debut Senate Room, a new elegant dining space in the legendary Royal Academy of Arts, which recently celebrated its 250th anniversary.
With an Italian-inspired small plates menu, Senate Room will offer lunch and afternoon tea during the day and transform into a lively bar with wine, cocktails and aperitivo at night.
In collaboration with the renowned English architect David Chipperfield, the 60-cover restaurant located in the eponymous restored Senate Room, will create a grand, yet intimate and inviting space, where all visitors will feel at home.
Senate Room will feature a magnificent and dominant bar creating a space that blends the modernity of Chipperfield’s style with the best from the historic building of the Royal Academy itself.
This project comes as part of Chipperfield’s massive undertaking to link the Royal Academy’s extraordinary home of Burlington House with its neighbour, 6 Burlington Gardens, for the first time, in honour of the institution’s 250th birthday.
A varied, accessible Italian menu will provide fresh, uncomplicated and comforting food available for lunches. Chef Stephen Beadle, whose background includes four years at the prestigious Michelin-starred River Café restaurant, has created the food offering.
Menu highlights include Delicia squash and ricotta pansotti pasta with Parmesan and crispy sage and a selection of cured meats and cheese, such as Speck Trentino, Wild boar and Parmigiano Reggiano with truffled honey. Crostini such as Chicken liver and Chianti and Stracciatella with quince alongside small plates including Porchetta, chargrilled fennel, salsa verde and Smoked tuna, agridolce onions and rocket will also be on offer.
A versatile selection of Champagnes, Italian wines and sparkling wines by the glass and by the bottle will also be available.
Charles Saumarez Smith, Secretary and Chief Executive of the Royal Academy of Arts, said, “I love the elegant setting and am confident patrons will equally love the quality of the food and the friendliness of the staff. I am so pleased that Senate Room is now expanding its offer and look forward to enjoying many meals there.”
In the afternoon, guests can enjoy an Italian spin on traditional afternoon tea artfully crafted by Melissa Forti, author of the esteemed cookbook The Italian Baker. Mixing Italian glamour with her unique edgy style, Forti creates stunning recipes at her bakery in the medieval town of Sarzana, near Tuscany, which she will bring to London this December.
The tea will include cakes and sweet delicacies such as Ricotta cheesecake, honey and chestnut, Marsala zabaione and Orange & Grand Marnier chiffon cake. The menu will change seasonally highlighting Melissa’s most beloved desserts.
Forti said, “The love relationship I have always had with the City of London, has transformed itself in a culinary dream marriage. Having had the chance to design the afternoon tea for the Royal Academy of Arts has been an honour and a privilege – it is a real delight to be part of this project.”
By night, Senate Room will transform into an elegant bar with a laid-back sensibility, allowing guests to partake in early evening cocktails and complimentary aperitivo. Coinciding with 'Evenings at The RA', on Fridays, Senate Room bar will remain open until 10pm in the evening.
Mike Lucy, Founder of Company of Cooks, commented, “We are thrilled to be launching Senate Room in a place as revered as the Royal Academy of Arts, which has such an extensive and enthusiastic audience from all over the world. We are particularly excited to be working with Melissa, an extremely accomplished master baker in her own right, and look forward to bringing her exquisite cakes to this space”.
