Florattica
If you have a head for heights you may wish to clamber up to this new rooftop bar on the eleventh floor of Canopy by Hilton London City in Aldgate. Drawing inspiration from East London’s textile industry, the decor glows with floral installations which have their roots in the woven floral patternscreated by local 17th century French Huguenots.
Flowers also play a starring role in the cocktail menu devised by head mixologist Serena Carrino. For example, the Kimiko uses cherry blossom liquor alongside Roku gin, Lillet Blanc and Tio Pepe.
Should you feel peckish while gazing over top St Paul’s then you could snack on native oysters, beef tartare with fresh black truffle, sushi and charcuterie or cheese plates.
11-15 Minories, London EC3N 1AX
https://floratticalondon.co.uk/
Climat
Maintaining altitude but moving north, Manchester’s Climat is a hundred cover restaurant with a rooftop location on Blackfriars House. Developed by the same team as Covino in Chester, the eighth floor restaurant is wine-led and promises daily-changing menus of ‘Parisian ex-pat’ food and some 300 different wines with a strong emphasis on bottles from Burgundy.
Translated, ‘Parisian ex-pat food’ means dishes like the venison with red cabbage and celeriac or tandoori-spiced cuttlefish with lime pickle and white cabbage. Sharing dishes such as whole John Dory and lamb shoulders also feature.
Blackfriars House, Manchester M3 2JA
https://restaurantclimat.co.uk/
Antonietta
On Edinburgh’s Leith Walk, La Favorita pizzeria has been replaced by the unashamedly flamboyant Antonietta. Part of the Vittoria Group, which operates Bertie’s, Taste of Italy, Vittoria and Divino in the city, Antonietta aims to ‘make eating out fun again’. Decorated in a retina-shredding palette of pinks and oranges, it is certainly hard to ignore.
The menu at the 140 cover restaurant is just as attention-grabbing. The pizza selection includes a yolk-popping concoction called When Two Romans Meet and a pan-fried hake dish that includes charred Brussel sprouts and candied walnuts among the accompaniments.
Antonietta is designed for parties and has all the cocktails, wines, beers and spirits you might need to kick start your hoolie. Make mine a Panther Milk Martini.
325-331 Leith Walk, Edinburgh, EH6 8SA
Tel: 0131 554 2430
https://antoniettaedinburgh.co.uk/#1
North Taproom
The independent brewery North has ventured beyond its native Leeds to open a taproom in Birmingham’s Snow Hill. Along with two double fridges for takeaway beers, North Taproom has 24 draught lines and Negronis on tap. Food comes courtesy of Little Bao Boy who will look after all your bao bun needs as well as providing gyoza, noodle broths and tofu fries.
Unit 1 Snow Hill, Birmingham B4 6GH
Tel: 0121 227 8181
https://www.northbrewing.com/venue/north-taproom-snow-hill/
Furna
A familiar face on Brighton’s dining scene thanks to his work in the kitchens of Gingerman, Salt Roomand Terre à Terre, chef Dave Mothersill has opened his first solo venture on New Road. Housed in handsome Georgian premises, Furna is on the bijou side with 37 covers.
The open kitchen serves a single tasting menu with an emphasis on simplicity, seasonality and sustainability. Priced at £90, plus £65 for paired wines, the menu offers dishes such as mushroom agnolotti with black garlic, 36 month-aged Parmesan, chestnuts and Wiltshire truffle. We like the sound of the Cornish monkfish with smoked eel, celeriac, apple, horseradish and Exmoor caviar. Although we’re also intrigued by salt-aged Sika deer with badger flame beetroots.
6 New Road, Brighton and Hove, BN1 1UF
Tel: 01273 031594
http://https/www.furnarestaurant.co.uk
Feature image credit: North Taproom. Alex Millhouse Smith
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