Searcys turns Champagne bar into meatball mecca

In keeping with the trend for casual dining, Searcys is turning its popular Champagne bar in the City of London into a vermouth and meatball specialist.

Inspired by Italian street food, the venue will serve beef and pork meatballs with pasta or ciabatta and an array of sauces, including pesto and tomato and pancetta, with Gorgonzola, anchovies or smoked almonds available as toppings.

The venue will also serve lighter bites like meatball sliders in brioche buns and sharing plates like crab and fennel salad with Sicilian orange; and smoked salmon ciabatta with mozzarella and artichoke.

The Champagne bar will be turned into a “Vermouteria” selling an extensive range of vermouth, which is becoming increasingly popular as an apéritif in London, alongside a selection of vermouth-based cocktails.

The drinks menu will be headed up by Joel Claustre and Aurelien Durand. The colour scheme meanwhile, has changed from orange to teal blue and slate gray.

If the One New Change revamp proves successful, Searcys will turn its other London Champagne bars into similarly “fuss free” on-trend venues offering sharing plates and cocktails in addition to the French fizz.