Brasserie Blanc, the 17-strong French restaurant group led by acclaimed chef Raymond Blanc and CEO Mark Derry, has announced that its flagship restaurant and bar on London’s Southbank will close at the end of January to facilitate a refurbishment before re-opening in early March 2016.
Located by the banks of the Thames to the rear of Royal Festival Hall and the Southbank Centre, Brasserie Blanc’s Southbank site follows similar refurbishments undertaken in 2015 in the Trinity Street and Threadneedle Street restaurants and forms a key part of a wider re-branding strategy across the group.
The 2690 square foot space will see a 35-cover cocktail bar located towards the front of the site and the 136-cover main dining room will include a feature communal kitchen table as a centrepiece, encouraging a casual dining experience and atmosphere. The existing private dining space with dedicated bar will be extended to create space for 70 seated or 100 guests standing, with the opportunity to split the area to create two private dining rooms, one small (22-seated) and one medium-sized (40-seated). The covered outdoor terrace (16 covers) will also receive a complete renovation to provide a fantastic alfresco dining space in the heart of the Southbank.
Working with award-winning branding and interior design agency Blacksheep, the restaurant and bar will have a stripped-back interior making use of a range of natural materials and a muted colour palette of heritage tones. The refreshed interior will complement the company’s concept of ‘chez nous’ and further position Brasserie Blanc as the ‘home’ of real French brasserie-style dining in the UK.
CEO Mark Derry says: “Being in such a prominent, high footfall location, Brasserie Blanc Southbank is our flagship London restaurant and its huge capacity means we can cater for a vast range of group sizes. The refurbishment will transform it into a more inviting and versatile space for local office workers and tourists to enjoy.”