Ballroom is a brand new eating and drinking experience in London which brings a New York underground vibe to the heart of the City. This multifaceted and stylish diner and basement bar comes from seasoned bar and restaurant entrepreneur Christian Arden. It mixes up mouth-watering Italian influenced meatballs in a New York styled eatery and comes with its own speakeasy style cocktail lounge down in the Ballroom Basement Bar. Ballroom officially opens on Wednesday 1st May and has already created a buzz at its soft launch in March.
And it’s all about the Meatballs. Christian spent his childhood in San Gimignano in Italy, watching his beloved grandmother in the kitchen cooking up all his favourite dishes. Ballroom has evolved these traditional recipes, developed the flavours and will now offer some of that Italian passion for food to the streets of London. Bellissimo.
It’s world class balls are made in house by a skilled and experienced kitchen team to either eat in or grab and go. The restaurant is mindful of food provenance using only the freshest seasonal vegetables from Covent Garden and high quality meat from HG Walter the butcher. The menu and daily special recipes include delicious hand-rolled beef, pork, Thai chicken and Moroccan lamb balls as well as fish and vegan balls. All are served with bases such as pasta of the day, couscous, creamy mash or wilted greens and a variety of sides including homemade slaws and salads.
It’s not just about the balls; in true Italian style, great coffee and pastries will be served daily from 7.00 am. Coffee comes from the renowned Caravan Coffee Roasters who are known for their focus on quality, provenance, sustainability, freshness and fair relationships with farmers.
On Ballroom Arden says;
“With Ballroom it’s back to basics for me, cool interior, fabulous food and great drinks. I just love meatballs and our vegan balls are epic.”
The setting in which you will sink these delicious eats is a mix of industrial chic and art deco styling. It is stripped back and casual but oozes a subtle sense of modern elegance with its contemporary neon lighting. The design comes from visionary Stuart Taylor, who is responsible for Rum Kitchen and Ceviche interiors in London. Once you’ve had your fill of food in this fantastically realised restaurant, it’ll be time to mosey on down into the Ballroom Basement Bar.
This is a vibey, low-lit, laidback place in which to treat yourself; a cosy underground den with exposed brick walls and tables fashioned from reclaimed parquet flooring. It’s a throwback to the old days of The City where drinking had to be accompanied by nibbles which in the Basement Bar is a selection of Tapas style meatballs. The cocktail menu offers three classics made by expert mixologists: the Negroni, the Old Fashioned and the Margarita and you can be assured they will be the best you have ever tasted. A selection of spirits, wines, lagers and craft ales are also available at the bar.
This atmospheric and authentic new speakeasy brings an exciting new dimension to eating and drinking in The City.