Nest Is Flipping Into British Bistro Tavern

The site will be reopening as Tavern

At the start of the year, Nest on Old Street announced that it was shutting up shop after nine years in business. It may be goodbye to Nest but the team (which also runs the Michelin-starred Restaurant St Barts) is hanging onto the site, flipping it into British bistro Tavern this spring.

The space is being reimagined for the new concept, with a palette of black and off-white, a black slate counter around the open kitchen, white tablecloths and candlelight. The kitchen will be led by Executive Chef Brendan Appleby and Head Chef Kirsty Easterbrook (both coming over from Restaurant St Barts), alongside St Bars co-founder Johnnie Crowe.

As it did at Nest, produce will come from top British farmers, fishermen and growers, with a focus on whole animal butchery and open fire cookery. Alongside daily seasonal specials, the menu will include dishes like:

devilled pig skin with smoked cod’s roe
Tavern sausage with curry sauce
barbecued cuttlefish and pork XO skewers
British bluefin tuna tostada with Irish wasabi
Brixham turbot with English sparkling wine and cobnut sauce
Yew Tree Farm hogget with anchovy and ewe’s curd
Tamworth pork served nose to tail with cider mustard sauce
Welsh Wagyu rib of beef with marrow and Dorset snails
crispy veal sweetbread burger
British chocolate tart with barley ice cream
Baron Bigod malt loaf with fermented honey
bread and butter pudding ice cream

As you’d expect from a place named Tavern, the bar will be just as important as the dining room. If you’re not settling in for a full dinner, you’ll be able to swing by for beer served in tankards, natural wines, pickle chilli martinis and some snacks. With chunion puffs (aka cheese and onion filled-gougères) just one of the snacks on offer, we can see this becoming quite a popular stop-off….