The Initiative celebrates its unique dining concepts in London
Solstice is the latest opening for The Initiative and is an extension of their Shaman concept which already has four locations across London, including Dalston and Bermondsey. Solstice is located within the Locke at Broken Wharf Hotel and benefits from a stunning riverside location.
Head Chef Jay Campbell, formerly of The Dorchester, has curated a menu inspired by the British coastline which blends traditional flavours with Mediterranean influences. It is these influences which have inspired the small plates style dining at Solstice, with guests encouraged to order a few plates to share.
Specialties include the Cured sea bass, paired with a fennel & mint salad, the Crispy middle white pork belly, Tomato and goat cheese arancini and for dessert, the Crème fraiche panna cotta with English strawberries, aged balsamic, black pepper and basil. Delicious food is washed down by cocktails, wine and, at the weekend, bottomless bubbles.
The restaurant has 77 covers, including an outdoor terrace. Solstice’s design centers plants, palms and bamboo with dried lavender on every table, evoking a beach club feel in the heart of London. Floor to ceiling windows ensure the river views remain the star of the show.
The peaceful and tranquil design makes Solstice a home away from home, with functionality that makes it perfect for a chilled weekend brunch or a laidback after work dinner.
The Shaman outpost at Leman Locke, in Aldgate, was the first to open a dinner spot. Alter, founded by Andy Hogben (formerly of Som Saa), first opened in October 2020. The restaurant features an innovative, fully plant-based menu inspired by Asian flavours and seeks to challenge perceptions of vegan food. Menu highlights include Shitake & fermented soy dumplings and Viet nahm dtok salad, as well as their legendary ‘pizza’; a dish that has to be tasted to be believed.
The Alter team will also be opening for lunch and introducing a brand new lunch menu which will be launch in late October, Alter features a similarly minimalist, natural and calming aesthetic but with shades of warm pinks, oranges and yellows. Guests reach Alter by climbing London’s most Instagrammable staircase, a spiralling, baby pink beauty which leads from Shaman downstairs to Alter upstairs.
The Initiative has installed its forward-thinking ‘Shaman’ concept at four Locke hotels in London. In Bermondsey and Dalston, Shaman stands alone while in St Paul’s and Aldgate it exists alongside Solstice and Alter respectively. Shaman offers great coffee to take-away or sip at while whiling away the hours in the cafes’ inspiring coworking spaces. The Shaman coffee shops are perfectly designed to spark creativity with each location boasting its own spin on the overarching aesthetic of pastel shades, industrial worktops and hanging leaves.
The Shaman concept hinges on the locations’ abilities to offer a lifestyle concept and truly take guests from day to night. Settle into the sofas for a caffeine-fuelled catch up with friends or perch at a table and write that best-selling novel. When the clock strikes 5, Alter and Solstice offer the perfect location for a date night or after-work dinner. For more casual drinks, the Dalston location has an in-house bar.
For those outside of London, The Initiative has installed its Peru Perdu concept in Whitworth Locke Hotel, Manchester. This vibrant Peruvian-inspired restaurant offers a taste of The Initiative in the Northand features a Ceviche bar.
Mercato partnership
In addition to Shaman and its positioning with Locke Hotels, The Initiative also has a partnership with Mercato. Mercato Metropolitano is home to The French Corner, a bar which epitomises the energy and vibrancy of The Initiative’s vision for dining and drinking in London. Rico Coco at Mercato Mayfair benefits from a stunning location within a renovated church and also features a rooftop terrace with views across Central London.
https://www.the-initiative-group.com/
