Compass Group and Barbican create new dining experience

London’s Barbican has entered into a seven year partnership with Compass Group UK & Ireland to recreate the Barbican’s Waterside Café and Level One Balcony Bistro.

The work will see the current Waterside Café transformed into the Barbican Foodhall, with stallholders offering a selection of foodstuffs ranging from chutneys to cheese and Cornish pasties, as well as majoram-infused mackerel, glazed damsons and goats’ cheese pie..

In addition, the area will contain a reasonably-priced restaurant with mains starting at £7. To complete the experience the Foodhall will also house a Book Bank where readers can buy or borrow books.

The Barbican Lounge, replacing the Level One Balcony, will be decorated to create a “Prisoner meets Mad Men” style, with mid-century Scandinavian furniture and Beirut designer PSLab light installations. The lounge, comprising a bar and restaurant, will open out onto a terrace with seating pods and seasonal plants.

The Lounge will offer a “Dine and Dash” menu, guaranteeing full service in 50 minutes – or your money back, and for those less hurried, a range of cocktails prepared by London’s first Macaroon Mixologist, who will devise and pair his creations to match a selection of the French delicacies.

Sarah Miller, business director for Compass’ Leisure Division said: “For us, this provides an unmissable opportunity to showcase the significant work we have been undertaking to understand what our customers want and capitalise on current trends.

With the new Barbican Foodhall and Barbican Lounge, I believe we have created a fantastic and unique offer, providing visitors with the ultimate foodie experience in a wonderful venue.

The new Foodhall and Lounge open in September this year.

Marinel FitzSimons 24.08.2010