Bronte

Bronte | Trafalgar Square Restaurant
By Katie Hill

NOTE: Sadly, Bronte is now closed. 

When Admiral Nelson died after the Battle of Trafalgar, his body was stored in a huge barrel of brandy to preserve it for the voyage home.

When the ship returned home, all of the brandy was gone.

Now whether this brandy was drunk by a zombie version of Admiral Nelson or (far less likely) his crew, we’ll never know… but what we do know for sure, is that Admiral Nelson – AKA Lord Nelson, Duke of Bronte – has just had a Pacific-inspired restaurant named after him in Trafalgar Square. And that’s what’s important.

So welcome to Bronte. A devastatingly stylish, Tom Dixon-designed space, it features a pink concrete breakfast bar… which, let’s face it, won’t work everywhere. But it obviously does when paired with jade green leather booths and shelves filled with curious artefacts from the world over.  Here’s what you can expect to find coming out of the kitchen/bar:

THE FOOD

The menu’s loaded with Australian & Pacific inspired goodness, with the menu starting on prawn ceviche with lemongrass & lime; and hanger steaks covered in “weeping tiger dressing” (it’s a very hot Thai sauce) and papaya salsa.

Mains, meanwhile, will net you the likes of grilled swordfish steaks with beetroot salad, or some marinated lamb rump with chilli & honey. And you’ll want something to wash it all down with, which brings us conveniently to:

THE DRINKS

Cocktails include both a rotating selection of seasonal numbers, some permanent house originals, with such eye-opening numbers as the Smokey Rogers (whisky, truffle honey, and smoked ginger stem) and The Mirage, featuring mezcal, pineapple and cactus fruit liqueur.

It leaves a sharp aftertaste.

NOTE: Sadly, Bronte is now closed. 

Bronte | Grand Buildings, 1-3 Strand, WC2N 5EJ

Want to know what’s coming up? Check out our guide to London Restaurants Opening Soon