As if an excuse for indulgence was ever necessary; St Patrick’s Day falls on a Saturday (17th March) this year. Alongside ‘official’ London celebrations taking place between 16th-18th March – notably including a huge parade – many of the city’s bars and restaurants will celebrate Ireland’s Patron Saint in their own unique way.
One of our favourite London restaurants, Bentley’s Oyster Bar & Grill will host a Feast of St Patrick’s on Friday 16th and Saturday 17th March. At £70 per-head, the four-course lunch will begin at noon on both days and will be served ‘family style’. Live coverage of Cheltenham Gold Cup Day and 6 Nations Rugby will be screened on Friday and Saturday, respectively, followed by live music beginning at six o’clock. Created by Executive Chef Michael Lynch, under the watchful eye of Richard Corrigan, the Feast of St Patrick’s menu will include Bentley’s rooftop smoked salmon; traditional Irish stew; bacon and cabbage with prune, sauternes and hazelnut; finished with an Irish apple tart with Jameson cream.
Alongside the Feast of St Patrick’s at Bentley’s, Irish chef Richard Corrigan will also serve a selection of Irish classics at Corrigan’s Mayfair for St Patrick’s Day. These dishes will include the likes of collar of bacon with truffle and cabbage; crispy crubeens with beetroot and horseradish; plus treacle and Guinness tart with whiskey cream. At Dickie’s Bar, affixed to Corrigan’s Mayfair, the chef patron’s Irish heritage will also be celebrated with Black Velvet and Irish Coffee. Free-flowing Guinness will also be served alongside a vast collection of Irish whiskeys.
Celebrate their Irish roots, The Sun Tavern in Bethnal Green will team up with Dublin whiskey distillery, Teeling, to produce three one-off cocktails. These will include the likes of ‘Revival’ (Teeling Small Batch, Calvados, Apple, Pimento Ginger Ale and Citrus) and ‘Pear Drop’ (Teeling Single Malt, Rinquinquin, White Port, Sekforde). Oyster Boy will also be on hand, serving complimentary oysters this weekend, while Drew McConnell from Babyshambles will play a DJ set on Saturday 17th March.
In collaboration with Dingle Distillery, The Bloomsbury Club Bar will host a St Patrick’s Day soirée on Saturday. With a specially curated food and drinks menu, plus live acoustic music, the immersive (free-entry) party will continue until 1am. Using the three artisan spirits from Dingle Distillery, Bar Manager Brian Calleja has created a cocktail menu with highlights including ‘The Founding Fathers’ (Dingle Original Gin, Elixir Combier, Maraschino Liqueur, bitters) and ‘Italian Craic’ (Dingle Distillery Vodka, Italicus, Pink Grapefruit Mist, Prosecco). Elsewhere, a menu of bar snacks will feature an array of authentic ‘Irish Club Bites’ such as Guinness Welsh Rarebit and mini stout cakes. What’s more, the world’s oldest barbershop, Truefitt & Hill, will pop-up at The Bloomsbury Club during the day: offering mens’ hot towel shaves alongside a Dingle Original Gin and tonic. This experience costs £25, but is free on proof of an Irish passport.
Running from Wednesday 14th to Saturday 17th March, Borough Market will host a ‘Taste the Greatness of Northern Ireland’ showcase. Providing culinary inspiration from Northern Ireland, a selection of guest traders will sell a range of regional delicacies from the Market Hall. Amongst these, available produce will include artisan cheeses and butters from Ballylisk Dairies in Armagh; Cavanagh free-range eggs from hens which forage amongst oak, ash and chestnut trees; freshly baked soda farls and potato bread from Mark Douglas of Krazi Baker; and Northern Ireland’s first premium craft gin – Shortcross Gin. Moreover, Northern Irish chef Paula McIntyre will be on hand over the four days, taking part in various cooking demonstrations.
Th All Female Irish Artists Music Trail will also take place at Camden Market, this weekend. Traders will include Crosstown Doughnuts, serving a Guinness and Baileys chocolate creation, and Young Vegan’s seitan and Irish ale pie. Permanent Camden Market residents Chin Chin Labs will also be serving a stout ice cream with seaweed caramel, and Cereal Killer Café will offer green milk with their Lucky Charms. Moreover, Irish craft brewers Porterhouse Brewing Company will park their four-by-four beer mobile, complete with beer taps; serving their core range of beers, plus new limited edition Porterhouse Bounty Hunter – brewed especially for St Patrick’s Day.
RELATED
https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/food-drink/restaurant-review-bentleys-oyster-bar-grill/31/05/
https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/food-drink/restaurant-review-corrigans-mayfair/16/05/
