Bar + Block brand to reach 20 UK sites with double launch in London

31-Jan-2022 - Last updated on 31-Jan-2022 at 14:30 GMT

Double opening: Whitbread's Bar + Block brand will open in Hammersmith and Paddington

Pub-restaurants and hotel operator Whitbread will take its Bar + Block steakhouse concept to 20 sites UK-wide including six in London, with the opening of two new branches in the capital.

Joining its sibling restaurants in King’s Cross, Aldgate, Wimbledon and Southwark will be Bar + Block Hammersmith in mid-February on Shepherd’s Bush Road. The 136-cover restaurant and 44-cover bar is spread across 555sq metres.

While early March will see the opening of Bar + Block Paddington, which is set to open on North Wharf Road. The lower ground restaurant features 140 restaurant covers, including a 16-seater group dining table and 77-cover bar. Interiors for both sites are by Harrison Design.

All-day trading format

Whitbread said the menus at both restaurants will follow the steakhouse’s all-day trading format, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days a week, with a focus on 30-day aged steaks. Menu options will also include Bar + Block’s signature burgers ground on-site, Butcher’s Block specials, salads, grills and grazing plates, with a value lunch menu available from 11.30am to 5pm on Monday to Friday.

Design elements will include a central statement bar with copper detailing, an open kitchen and a mix of booth and table seating, complemented with decorative finishing touches including the brand’s trademark neon wall calligraphy detailing the Bar + Block story.

Delighted to develop

Whitbread commercial marketing director Rebecca Donaldson said: “We are delighted to be starting 2022 with two new Bar + Block openings in London as we continue to grow and develop the brand nationwide. With two key central locations close to transport hubs, we are confident our mix of high-quality expertly sourced aged steaks and accessible price point will appeal to locals as well as visitors to the city.”

The two new openings follow Bar + Block’s latest expansion in Scotland, which saw the opening of its second site in Edinburgh in December, with Whitbread planning a further four sites later this year in the UK.

Last month, Whitbread head of food and beverage development Chris Seaby offered tips to help pubs provide a plant-based food menu.