Earlier this summer the much-anticipated new outpost of the London Museum at Smithfield revealed its November opening date, as well as announced a bunch of debut exhibitions. Now the opening, which Time Out reckoned would be the best new thing to do in London this year, has unveiled its food and drink options.
Hospitality company Green & Fortune will open four venues in London Museum Smithfield: flagship restaurant Clerks House at London Museum, a bar called Bartholomew’s, a café named the Temperance Cocoa Rooms and an ‘incubator space’ with rotating residencies called The Roost.
Better yet, all four venues will make the most of London’s finest eating and drinking talent. Food curator Robin Gill, who’s known for restaurants like The Dairy, Darby’s and Sorella and worked under the likes of Marco Pierre White and Raymond Blanc, will oversee food at all four. Award-winning cocktail bartender Mr Lyan (Ryan Chetiyawardana) of Lyaness, meanwhile, will collaborate with the museum for the Bartholomew’s drinks list, which will be inspired by the London Museum’s displays.
Clerks House
An all-day dining room and bistro, the 140-cover Clerks House will be on the ‘general market’ ground floor. Open for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, weekend brunch and Sunday roasts, it’ll have seasonal produce, a Gill-curated pie menu and a weekly-changing wine list. Expect hearty British meats and stews with a lot of fresh UK-grown veg.
Bartholomew’s
The London Museum’s in-house bar is named after Bartholomew Fair, a summer event that took place in Smithfield for over 700 years. Opening out onto Farringdon Road, it’ll serve up a draught London Museum lager and a signature seasonal shandy serve, as well as the aforementioned Mr Lyan Studio collab cocktail menu riffing off the museum’s permanent and temporary exhibitions.
Temperance Cocoa Rooms
Lockhart’s Cocoa Rooms was once a UK-wide chain of cafes selling tea, coffee and cocoa. One of them was found during the London Museum’s renovation, and it’s been restored as an alcohol-free spot for pastries, sandwiches, toasties and soups, as well as coffee, hot chocolate and mocktails. Welcoming customers daily, it’ll be open 24-hours on Thursday to Sunday.
The Roost
Last but not least, The Roost will have a rotating street food residency with residencies lasting six months. The London Museum says it’ll be a platform to ‘nurture emerging talent’, with chefs encouraged to use it as a test kitchen for their products. Details of the first residency are yet to be announced.
Green & Fortune has been signed on to work with the London Museum on its food/drink offerings for 10 years.
London Museum, Smithfield, EC1 9AG. Opens November 28 2026.
🏛️ The best museums in London.
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