Two minutes with Roisin Stimpson and Edmund Weil, founders of Speakeasy Entertainment (the team behind the award-winning bars Nightjar, Oriole, and Bar Swift)
What can people expect from the new Oriole; and what will differentiate the space from the original speakeasy?
The new Oriole will still have inventive cocktails, buzzy live entertainment and great service, but one of the biggest differences is that we will be offering an a la carte menu for the very first time outside of PRELUDE by Oriole. Our Head Chef Gus and his team have carefully curated a delicious menu of dishes that draw on Latin American fusion cuisines to pair perfectly with our signature cocktails. The restaurant will also be home to our first in-house bar lab, where the team will be making clarified seasonal juices, syrups and much more.
In terms of decor, we wanted the interior to be really recognisable so the design has been inspired by the original Oriole. We’ve kept a lot of the natural world objects that were on display, as well as some interior fixtures that will be peppered throughout the space. In addition this latest Oriole has the benefit of an upstairs bar which will act as an aperitif and light bites space with outdoor seating, before people join us downstairs for the show.
What drew you to Covent Garden to open the second iteration of Oriole?
Finding the right property in the right part of London is very tricky, but Covent Garden felt like the perfect place to bring Oriole back to life as London’s historic entertainment hub. We built the brand into a real destination in Smithfield Market, but we now have the opportunity to bring the concept to a wider audience at The Yards and we couldn’t be more excited.
Will any old favourites be returning to the menu?
Of course! The Acadia, a peanut butter and jelly inspired Whisky Sour, will be staying on the menu, as will the Bergerac (a Cognac-based cocktail with fig leaf). We’ve had them both on the menu for 6-plus years, just because people keep going back for them. There’ll be lots of other Oriole classics, too.