On Wednesday 13 March, PRELUDE by Oriole opens at The Yards, Covent Garden – a three-month pop-up restaurant, bar and innovation space from the team behind acclaimed cocktail bars Oriole, Nightjar and Bar Swift. PRELUDE by Oriole paves the way for the second iteration of Oriole, the award-winning Speasy, which will reopen in a permanent location at The Yards, Covent Garden later this summer.
At PRELUDE by Oriole, food and drink are equal, allowing guests to enjoy a brand new cocktail list that includes Brugal 1888 rum, Macallan and Highland Park among others. For the first time at Oriole, the cocktails are accompanied by an à la carte menu. Argentine head chef Gustavo Giallionardo has created a menu that explores the ways in which Latin American ingredients and cooking styles intersect with ingredients from the rest of the world.
Influenced by different places and traditions, including Nikkei (Japanese-Peruvian fusion) and Argentinian-Italian cuisine, the menu combines ingredients such as the Mexican delicacy huitlacoche (corn flour), Peruvian ají amarillo (yellow pepper), koji, seaweed and matcha. in a creative selection of small plates, main courses and desserts. The dishes include:
oyster, tiger’s milk yellow
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Raw scallop, Edamame Agua Chile, kiwi, seaweed
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Beef Tartare Sando, Koji emulsion
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Pumpkin, Tamarind, Peanut Sambal, Green Curry Creme Fraiche
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Duck, Orange Mole, Beetroot, Pickled Cucumber, Dukkah
In keeping with the adventure-seeking, migratory birds and orioles from which the bar takes its name, the drink menu draws inspiration from culinary and imbibing traditions around the world, with each cocktail paying homage to the unique ingredients and heritage of its region.
Bar Manager Samet Ali has developed a selection of cocktails including Mizuwari, which combines 12-year-old Highland Park whiskey washed down with chocolate miso, asparagus slush, amontillado sherry, green walnut vermouth and cold-brewed Hojoicha tea. The drinks are expertly paired with the menu to create a rounded culinary experience Mizuwari complements food perfectly Huitlacoche, mushrooms and egg yolk; and Apple tart, Miso, Dulce de Leche ice creamwhich is combined Aomoricontains premium Brugal 1888 rum from the Dominican Republic, as well as oak-aged quince rakia, meadow vermouth, Fuji apple juice and cherry blossom vinegar.
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Many of the drinks and food served will be on the menu at Oriole’s new permanent home in Covent Garden later this year, with the pop-up serving as a research and development space for both food and drink. For lovers of the original Oriole, the menu also includes selected cocktails, such as Acadiaa playful take on the Whiskey Sour inspired by peanut butter and jelly.
Located at Slingsby Place in The Yards, Covent Garden, the 34-cover restaurant and bar is designed to evoke the natural world through a warm brown and deep green color palette. Soft banquette seating and brass details are combined with subdued lighting to complete the stylish and sweaty space. Like the original Oriole, live jazz music plays long evenings and transports guests away from the hustle and bustle of the outdoors.
Edmund Weil, President of Speakeasy Entertainment, says: “When we left Smithfield in 2023, we always planned to revitalize Oriole with our top employees as operating partners. Finding a new home has proved to be a long journey, but we are delighted to be settling at The Yards in the heart of Covent Garden and one of London’s most happening locations.
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CBRE director Jamie Thipthorpe said on behalf of The Yards: “The Oriole is an exciting step forward in our long-term strategy to establish The Yards as a unique mixed-use day-to-night destination in the heart of Covent Garden. . This pop-up will be a great addition to The Yards ahead of its permanent site later this year and will is a testament to the area and the opportunities it offers for new concepts to succeed.We will continue to work closely with the council, residents and key stakeholders to realize Oriole’s vision, which we look forward to welcoming to our community.
PRELUDE comes from Speakeasy Entertainment, the group behind the award-winning Bar Swift and Nightjar, which opened in 2010 and was voted one of the top three bars in the world in the 50 Best Bars of 2012, 2013 and 2014. In 2015, Speakeasy launched the original Oriole in Smithfield Market, which was soon renamed its after
“Best New International Cocktail Bar” at the Spirited Awards 2016. The original venue closed in Smithfield in 2022 due to the redevelopment of Smithfield Market, but has now been given a new lease of life in this new incarnation. The pop-up is in partnership with Edrington UK, the UK’s number one premium whiskey supplier, which owns brands such as The Macallan, Brugal rum and Highland Park.
PRELUDE by Oriole opens for three months from Wednesday March 13. The restaurant and bar are open for guests from Wednesday to Saturday from 17:00 to 23:00.
@theoriolebar | oriolebar.com