The Rosarium launches at The Sidings next month

The Rosarium, overseen by executive chef Harvey Ayliffe, will open beneath the bustle of Waterloo in May.  

The experiential menu will incorporate performative and sense-heightening experiences into the dishes, which will be accompanied by a selection of creative cocktails.

The 96-cover restaurant will serve lunch, dinner and a unique afternoon tea experience. The all-day menu begins with grazing dishes and elevated simple starters, with highlights including woodland mushroom soup with truffled straws and scampi scotch egg with asparagus soldiers.

For the main event, diners can choose from a quirky take on fish and chips, 'Cod in a Chip', along with the ale-braised beef mac with Montgomery cheddar, or the plant-based lentil and caramelised shallot pie.   

Indulgent sharing platters will feature angus cote de boeuf with gunpowder chips and peppercorn sauce; roast Scottish hake with butterbean, chorizo, piquillo pepper and aioli; or Moroccan-spiced vegan mixed grill with buckwheat, pomegranate and almonds; while vegan options include enderstem broccoli with miso and sesame; kale with pine nut and chilli; and baked cauliflower mozzarella.  

The dessert offering features molten chocolate pudding with flambé cherries; nostalgic lemon meringue and poppyseed arctic roll; and tangy rhubarb and custard tart.  The Champagne trifle with raspberry and elderflower is made for sharing, along with the Mad Hatter’s strawberry sundae for two.  

The Rosarium’s afternoon tea menu kicks off with a variety of finger sandwiches, with fillings including tandoori chicken with raita, roast beef with peppercorn mayo and oyster mushroom bacon with avocado. Savoury bites include the scampi scotch egg with chilli mayo and sausage roll royal with apple miso dip. Scones with clotted cream and berry preserves are followed by a range of patisserie; ‘Queen of Hearts’ jam tart, lemon meringue choux bun and blood orange, dark chocolate and hazelnut madeleines.

The restaurant’s interiors have been imagined and realised by Faber, drawing from the architecture of the quintessential English gardens of Lewis Carroll’s era. Guests can choose from three dining spaces, including the central glasshouse, the indoor terrace and The Rosarium’s secret garden.  

On the opening, Ayliffe comments: "Having been lucky enough to have worked at some of London’s best restaurants, I wanted my next adventure to capture some of the fun, skill and playfulness of all that London has to offer, taking from its past as well as its fiction, for something truly magical. The aim is to bring out the inner child in all that dine with us and inject some magic into every bite."

The Rosarium is the first opening of the launchpad permanent venue, Labyrinth, from the newly formed experiential production company from the Creative Directors of Les Enfants Terribles, Oliver Lansley and James Seager, along with producers Hunter Arnold and Gavin Kalin. 


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