The 112-cover St James’s Street restaurant will re-open in February 2014, with ‘Manhatten loft-style’ interiors and a new menu focusing on dishes and produce from the USA along with a range of American wines and craft beers.
Avenue will be open for lunch and dinner, with the new menu featuring American dishes such as clam chowder served in sourdough with littleneck clams and paper bag ‘crumbled’ bay crackers; and 45-day-aged USDA flat iron steak with pastrami butter, celeriac fries and dill mayo.
Sharing dishes from the Josper Grill will include Brooklyn Rooster – chicken prime cuts, wings and oysters with a buffalo sauce; and a pitcher of Brooklyn tap and KC suckling pig butt with spiced bacon and pecan cabbage, cinder potato and sour cream. Desserts such as donut holes warm on parchment with cinnamon sugar, Hershey melt and JD custard complete the offering.
Wine is set to be more of a focal point for the new-look venue, with sommelier Andres Ituarte, previously at Lutyens restaurant, offering a range of USA and Old World classics. The list of over 200 wines will include Sine Qua Non - a Californian make that ‘never produces the same wine twice’; Cayuse Bionic Frog - a cult Washington State Syrah; and Diamond Creek - an ‘old-school’ Californian cabernet.
American dreams
With a nod to American architect Rick Mather’s original design based on New York art galleries of the 1990s, Avenue’s new interior will reflect elements of a Manhattan loft exhibiting works from new and upcoming artists.
Wooden floors will run throughout, with floor lighting providing more of an intimate glow. At the entrance of Avenue, the bar will offer several levels of seating, with high at-bar-dining stools and a variety of lower leather banquettes.
Earlier this month BigHospitality reported that fellow hospitality operator Inventive Leisure is tapping into the growing consumer trend of ‘casualisation’ as the national premium bar operator unveiled a new Americanised menu for its Revolution business and a new executive chef.