Buddha Bar's London return confirmed

The global bar and restaurant chain, owned by George V Eatertainment, has announced Buddha Bar London will open on 1 November after a five-day soft-launch period.

Reinvention​

Across two floors the venue will contain a 240-cover restaurant focusing on a blend of Far Eastern dishes with Western influences while a 100-cover bar will showcase 'avant-garde cocktails'.

Tarja Visan, who co-founded the brand, said the opening of its latest London incarnation would signal a reinvention for Buddha Bar.

"Buddha Bar is universal, each destination unique in its own right. With our brand new London restaurant, we have ensured the concept is flexible to the British lifestyle, yet still attractive to the restaurant’s eclectic audience."

Administration​

The site at 145 Knightsbridge was acquired by George V Eatertainment earlier this year​ with CRS Leisure, the owners of the Chicago Rib Shack brand, describing the deal on the table as 'fabulous' despite the sadness in leaving a venue which had been operated under the concept for four years.

November's opening marks the return to the capital of a brand which exited the UK in 2010 after the London site went into administration with the blame firmly attributed to the recession.

New developments for London include specially-created dishes such as venison tataki and smoked duck and foie gras gyoza alongside Buddha Bar signatures, a dessert menu created by ex-Dorchester Hotel pastry chef China Tang, live DJs and a commissioned sculpture.

Visan explained visitors to the new venue would experience a very different restaurant and bar to the previous site on Victoria Embankment. 

"Restaurants are like fashion, we must adapt to our new generation’s demands whilst continuing to cater for the loyal customers’ needs. And at the new Buddha Bar London in Knightsbridge, diners can witness this melange of ages fused together by Buddha-Bar’s renowned music."