London’s first all-day Creole bar and kitchen to launch in June
The restaurant will be the latest project from Simply Fish owner Chris Singham, who has spent time travelling around the Creole region and is a big fan of the food and culture.
Singham said: “I got into the culture, the food, the music, the whole Creole theme while I was over there. For a while I've been intending to open something a bit different, and this seemed like the perfect thing. I think Creole food has a lot to say for itself, it’s a wonderful cuisine and culture.”
The menu
The food on offer at Bayou is an exotic mix of Southern American cuisine with French, Spanish, Italian and African influences.
The menu will feature offerings such as po’boy sandwiches with roast beef and gravy, smoked chicken wings and beef croquettes, as well as more substantial dishes including ribs, buttermilk chicken and crayfish gumbo.
Singham said: “South American food has been confused to a large degree, many people think burgers and pulled pork and sticky-back ribs is the entirety of it, but it's not. A large part of it is the Creole influence, which spans a whole range of things like jambalayas and gambos, we’ll serve all of this at Bayou.”
Bayou will also have a large cocktail menu which includes its signature version of a Proud Mary with Mezcal, tomato juice, cucumber and dill, alongside a range of boutique American lagers.
Whole Creole experience
Bayou will be opening in one of Singham’s sites in Camden which has undergone a significant amount of work to convert it to the Creole theme of the restaurant. Singham intends for Bayou to offer the whole Creole experience and not just be a dining venture, but also to incorporate the music, décor and culture.
He said: “We’ve turned the whole place around. In terms of dining it will sit 72 and there will be lots of banquet seating. The décor will create a Creole combined with Southern American feel to the place, and it’s got a very contemporary look too.”
The restaurant will also offer live music including jazz duos and saxophonists and a honky tonk piano on a small stage to create an ambience for the diners.
Singham said: “Bayou will stand out as being the only Creole bar in London. Also it doesn’t just offer a dining experience, it encompasses the music culture too, which at the moment is a stand-alone in terms of Southern American dining here.
“The venue will be lively and hip, not your serious dining experience. It's going to have a fun, casual feel to it, as well as offering something a bit different.”
Bayou is located at 20 Inverness Street in Camden and will open in early June.
