Quick Hits: Union Street Café Opens Olive Grove Pop-Up

Step off the busy London Bridge and enter through the doors of Gordon Ramsay’s Union Street Café. You’ll be greeted by the welcoming sight of a bustling restaurant enjoying a prosperous dinner service. However, head downstairs into the basement bar which has recently transformed into an authentic Italian olive grove pop-up.

Londoner’s can now drink and dine under a canopy of olive trees, a space which can only be described as a glamorous Sicilian courtyard. The deliberately gritty walls are inlaid with rustic wooden shutters above stone ledges carrying mismatched potted plants. The center of the room is dominated by a wooden banqueting table lit by lanterns. And who can resist candles individually encased in little glass houses?

The atmosphere alone will be enough to put you in the holiday mood, and that’s before you’ve tried your first cocktail. The drinks menu features a selection of twists on old classics. Each cocktail has been expertly crafted in partnership with MARTINI and paired with an array of premium pressed olive oils and citrus infusions. The flavours are addictive and guaranteed to have you sampling several more than you intended. The concept has been curated by bar manager, Davide Degiovanni, and his enthusiasm permeates throughout each one of his unique creations.

The delectable menu of small bites includes irresistible Italian antipasti. The concoctions pair perfectly with the salty tang of plump olives and creamy goats cheese crostini. If you’ve had enough of London for the day, breeze through the doors of Union Street Café and indulge in the authentic tastes and smells of an Italian summer’s day. Saluti!

Open until the end of June 2017. 47-51 Great Suffolk Street, London SE1 0BS, www.gordonramsayrestaurants.com