The Midland Grand Dining Room, in the heart of King’s Cross, has today announced an opening date of the 2 May 2023, with reservation lines opening in the coming days.
Gothic Bar, helmed by Bar Manager Jack Porter (pictured), is to open within the The Midland Grand Dining Room.
The destination bar, located in the original striking entrance to the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, has been spearheaded by owner, restaurateur and hotelier Harry Handelsman (Chiltern Firehouse, Allegra, Booking Office 1869).
The bar will feature a cocktail selection created by Jack (Booking Office 1869, Mezzanine at The Stratford, Library Bar at The Ned), alongside a bar food menu by The Midland Grand Dining Room’s chef Patrick Powell, and design by architect and interior designer Hugo Toro (Gigi, Booking Office 1869).
Gothic Bar will see the team's interpretation of a classic cocktail bar, complete with a hand-picked selection of absinthe, resurrected for a modern and discerning audience, leading to an air of sophistication and exclusivity. Opening from 12pm daily, with weekend hours extending to 2am, the bar will fulfil the team's drive of creating a late-night hotspot within the cultural hub which is King’s Cross.
Whilst the cocktails on offer will undoubtedly be a key feature, the ambiance is set to be a highlight, with a curated late night programme expected, including readings, salons and live music, all of which will heighten the exclusive atmosphere. This will be complemented by Powell’s bar menu, which will have French influences whilst also featuring a number of classic bar snacks.
Named in honour of the building’s Gothic Revival style - St Pancras Renaissance Hotel is also celebrating its 150th anniversary in May - Gothic Bar will feature a cocktail list centred around the robust flavours of Eau De Vie, or Water-of-Life - a pure, clear and un-aged brandy, distilled in fruit. This perfumed and fiercely flavourful spirit allows for a true expression of intense fruit essence, creating characterful, elegant and beautifully balanced cocktails.
The menu will be split into two; ‘Signature Serves’ which will encompass eight drinks and will sit alongside three ‘Grand Classics’, which will best embody the wider team’s ambitions for the Gothic.
The Grand Classics will include the Eau De Martini, The Midland 150, and the Strawberry Royale. The Eau De Martini will see X Muse (the first blended barley spirit from Scotland) combined with a grand vermouth blend before guests are asked to choose one of five different Eau De Vie flavour profiles, to be spritzed on top, as the ultimate personalised touch. Choices will range from Aromatic to Herb to Grape - with the actual spirits themselves changing regularly.
This will be accompanied by The Midland 150 - Porter’s take on the French 75, with the name honouring the 150th anniversary of the St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel - which originally opened as Midland Grand Hotel in 1873. This will see a Sacchaarum, made from three different types of lemon, as a type of ‘cello’, combined with Bombay Sapphire Cru, sprayed with absinthe and topped with Champagne.
Additionally, in a bid to utilise the excellent produce from The Midland Grand Dining Room kitchen, a seasonal Royale will be created using three expressions of one hero ingredient - vinegar, tincture and compote. For launch, this will take the form of a Strawberry Royale - capitalising on the early British strawberries available in May.
The concise but considered Signature Serves menu will feature 10 options in total, crossing a wide range of drink styles, from Porter’s play on the Spritz - The Menagerie with Asparagus Eau De Vie and Vermouth before being topped with soda to Diablo’s Descent with Tomato Eau de Vie, pepper, sage and tequila and the Ode Fashioned with roasted chestnut bourbon, date syrup and Oloroso sherry and topped with a red and white chocolate peacock stamp. This is Porter’s ode to the iconic building, with its significance also seen in drink names such as the Red Brick Fizz and Thirsty Gargoyle.
Also on offer will be a curated selection of absinthe - with the Bar offering seven different types, which will be complemented by absinthe taps on the bar, allowing guests to louche the glass themselves, meaning they can control the level of dilution they want to achieve.
Jack commented, “After spending the last year and a half in King’s Cross, I've grown to love the area and its buzz, due to its constant rate of change. The thinking behind Gothic Bar’s menu is to create a concept that reflects the heritage & stunning surroundings at St Pancras and the world class design of Hugo Toro, with King’s Cross being the perfect place for this.
'We’ve chosen to give special attention to the French influence with a large presence of Eau De Vie and Absinthe on the menu, plugging into a bygone era of bohemian glamour. We wanted to keep the drinks elegant, approachable and flavour driven, whilst also being modern yet confident in their serve.”
