Announced last year, Solstice will be located in the building next door to House of Tides that once housed he and his wife Abbie’s Bib Gourmand-winning Violets Cafe, which closed due to the pandemic.
The restaurant will have a more contemporary look and feel to House of Tides - which is currently ranked fourth on our list of the top 100 places to eat in the UK and holds a Michelin star - and will have a fully open kitchen.
Solstice is likely to launch in April and will initially be open Tuesday to Friday evenings only to improve work life balance for staff and to allow Atkinson to continue to support the team at House of Tides at its peak times.
The price of the tasting menu has yet to be finalised but is likely to cost around £150, around a third more than the one served at House of Tides.
Solstice's menu will change every day according to the availability of produce and won’t be given to guests until the end of the meal.
The restaurant will be staffed by up to four chefs, a restaurant manager, a sommelier and a commis waiter.
“It’s going to be very intimate and allow guests to see behind the scenes,” Atkinson told BigHospitality. “There will be much more interaction between the chefs and the customers as the chefs will be serving many of the dishes themselves.”
Atkinson and his team’s culinary approach won’t change dramatically but having fewer covers - House of Tides, which is also tasting menu-only, typically serves 50 guests per service - will allow for more courses and more intricate dishes.
“Solstice will allow me to push my skills as a chef and that of my team, many of whom have been with me for a long time and are now ready for a new challenge," he continues.
"We will also change our approach to sourcing. Securing very high-end produce for restaurants that do up to 400-covers can be challenging. But with a smaller restaurant we can work with suppliers to secure small amounts of the very best produce.”
A full interview with Kenny Atkinson will be published early next month.