Bar Crispin to open in Carnaby with a 50%-off soft launch weekender offer

Surely there’s nothing more appealing than a new wine bar – especially when it’s located in Soho, one of London’s most beloved foodie hubs. Or maybe there is something even better: a 50%-off soft launch weekender offer, perhaps? Ticking all these boxes, Bar Crispin, the latest venture from Dominic Hamdy and Oliver Hiam, is quite the catch. The wine bar and restaurant opens on 15^th July on Kingly Street, right in the heart of Carnaby, offering half-price deals to customers over its first weekend.

Bar Crispin features 42 covers in total – encompassing 20 seats in the main restaurant and a further ten on the outside dining terrace, as well seating up to 12 for dinner and drinks in the downstairs Green Room, which will also act as a private dining room for group bookings.

Open from 9am until late seven days a week (with a 1am licence on a Friday and Saturday), Bar Crispin will operate cafe-style in the morning, serving up baked goods and specialty coffee (from Assembly Roast), through to a lunch and evening service in the restaurant where an all-natural wine list will be served along the main food menu, offering bar snacks through to small and larger plates; cheese and charcuterie; and weekly house specials courtesy of head chef Brendan Lee.

The 150-strong wine list is curated by Bar Crispin’s general manager and in-house sommelier Alex Price (previously Annabel’s, Beaverbrook) alongside Crispin’s head sommelier Stefano Cazzato (Londrino, Hakkasan), with a focus on old world and indigenous grape varietals as well as small indie producers, akin to its namesake sister site in Spitalfields. Alex will host monthly events at Bar Crispin, such as natural wine tastings or wine and food pairings downstairs in the Green Room.

Bar Crispin head chef Brendan Lee joins the team having recently returned to London after several years working in kitchens in the US, including the Michelin-starred Al’s Place in San Francisco and Emmer & Rye in Austin, Texas.

The launch menu will offer dishes such as Native oysters, shallots; Anchovy and Potato Focaccia with Salsa Verde; Beef Tartare, Smoked Egg Yolk, Puffed Wheat Berries; Glazed Pork Belly, Pink Firs, Pickled Beets, Pea Shoots; and intriguing desserts including Black Garlic Ice Cream, Choc Tuile. Prices range from £4 for bar snacks through to £18 for larger plates.

Bar Crispin has been designed in collaboration with noted up-and-coming furniture and interior designer Jermaine Gallacher, of Jermaine Gallacher Studio (whose Borough-based studio also boasts Lant Street Wine Bar). The bar has a distinct modernist feel, drawing inspiration from the late 70s-early 80s Soho heyday, with an imposing silver zinc bar and bespoke hand-painted light fittings by Viola Lanari, alongside Gallacher’s signature triangle mirrors and zig zag design lines. Playlists curated by DJs Peaches, Eliza Rose and Flo Dill will set the mood.

Founder Dominic Hamdy explains why it was the right time to launch Bar Crispin: “We’ve always had a strong wine offering at Crispin, with a focus on natural and small independent producers, led by our in-house sommelier Stefano who brought with him a wealth of wine knowledge, drive and experience when he joined the team. Then, during the various lockdowns we saw a huge increase in wine sales both in person to take home and via our online shop, Crispin Stores. We also launched the Crispin Wine Club in late 2020, which has been a real hit with our customers, so it seems fair that our next site should continue this focus on the wine, particularly with the hire of our new general manager Alex, who will also be sommelier at Bar Crispin, alongside a knock-out food menu from new head chef Brendan, who’s just relocated back to London after years working at stand-out kitchens in California.”

“We are super excited to open Bar Crispin this summer. We are right behind the iconic Liberty, just off Carnaby Street on Kingly Street, which is a great location for our first real central London site. And after such a shocker of a year for hospitality, and the country in general, we hope we can offer some much-needed positive vibes and retro fun back to dining and drinking out in Soho, Crispin-style.”

Julia Wilkinson, Restaurant Director at Shaftesbury, is equally excited about the opening: “Bar Crispin, the brand-new wine bar with food coming to Kingly Street, will become a new and popular spot in Carnaby. We are looking forward to the all-day menu from breakfast bites, specialty coffee, through to low-intervention and natural wines, seasonal small plates and some great bar snacks. This is a brilliant new concept with a versatile offering from morning until evening and we look forward to the opening this summer.”

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Bar Crispin opens on Kingly Street, Soho, on Thursday 15^th July. For further information or to book, visit their website here.