On Wednesday March 13, PRELUDE by Oriole will open in The Yards, Covent Garden – a three-month pop-up restaurant, bar and innovation space from the team behind cocktail bars Oriole, Nightjar and Bar Swift.
PRELUDE by Oriole will pave the way for the second iteration of award-winning speakeasy, Oriole, which will re-open in a permanent location in The Yards, Covent Garden later this summer.
At PRELUDE by Oriole, guests can enjoy a new list of cocktails featuring the likes of Brugal Rum, The Macallan, and Highland Park, accompanied for the first time by an à la carte food offering. Argentine head chef Gustavo Giallionardo has created a menu which explores the ways that Latin American ingredients and cooking styles intersect with those from the rest of the globe. Drawing influences from various places and traditions, including Nikkei (Japanese-Peruvian fusion) and Argentine-Italian cuisines, the menu will combine ingredients such as Mexican delicacy huitlacoche (corn smut), Peruvian ají amarillo (yellow pepper), koji, seaweed and matcha in a creative variety of small plates, mains and desserts.
Bar manager Samet Ali has developed a selection of cocktails, including the Mizuwari, combining 12-year-old Highland Park whisky washed with chocolate miso, asparagus distillate, amontillado sherry, green walnut vermouth and cold brewed Hojoicha tea.
Many of the drinks and dishes served will appear on the menu at Oriole’s new permanent home in Covent Garden later this year, with the pop-up serving as a research and development space for both food and drink. For fans of the original Oriole, selected signature cocktails will also appear on the menu, such as the Acadia, a playful take on a Whisky Sour, inspired by the peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
Edmund Weil, director of Speakeasy Entertainment, says: “After leaving Smithfield in 2023, we always planned to revive Oriole with our top employees as operating partners. Finding a new home has proved a long journey, but we are delighted to have settled in within The Yards at the heart of Covent Garden and one of the most happening locations in London.”
On behalf of The Yards, Jamie Thipthorpe, director at CBRE, said: “Oriole is an exciting step forward in our long-term strategy to cement The Yards as a unique mixed-use day-to-night destination in the heart of Covent Garden. This pop-up will be a great addition to The Yards ahead of its permanent site later this year and is a testament to the area and the opportunities it provides for new concepts to thrive. We will continue to work closely with the council, residents, and key stakeholders alike to deliver Oriole’s vision, which we look forward to welcoming to our community.”
