Nearly a decade since it was last enjoyed, a historic site in the heart of London's Shoreditch is to reopen under new independent ownership, with outdoor dining on 12 April and indoor dining from 17 May.
Within the former Victorian ‘Great Eastern Light’ power station, long- standing Hackney residents Morten Jensen, Darren Collins and chef Johnnie Collins present The Light Bar. With lovingly restored interiors set across three floors, the new restaurant, bar and outdoor terrace promises to become a social and culinary destination for good times.
Located on Shoreditch High Street, the site has been an icon of London’s East End since it was built in 1893 to generate electricity for the UK’s first powered train station, Liverpool Street’s Great Eastern Railways. Due to its pioneering role in the development of electric power, the building is said to have inspired Shoreditch’s original motto, adopted in 1900: ‘More Light, More Power’.
Converted into a bar in 2000 by previous owners Oliver Williamson, James Goff and Ben Chesterfield, ‘The Light’ helped Shoreditch become famous for nightlife and dining. Despite its success, the venue was forced to close in 2014 when redevelopment plans threatened to tear it down. After a successful campaign to #savethelight, led by Oliver and thousands of locals and several celebrities including artist Tracey Emin, the building is now protected as part of Hackney’s Shoreditch Conservation Area.
From the ‘Engine Hall’ - the main ground floor bar and restaurant, a bespoke, feature steel staircase leads to a newly added mezzanine level, housing the cocktail-focused ‘Copper Bar’.
On the top floor, the Timber Loft dining area and events space will be launched in June.
The Light Bar will offer modern British cooking, relaxed drinks and a welcoming atmosphere. Johnnie’s simple, seasonal menus are inspired by his love of produce with a focus on sustainability, using specifically grown fruit and vegetables from his own carefully tended garden in Warwickshire.
Meat and fish are sourced from small, dedicated suppliers and as much as possible will be made in-house - from bread and butter to fresh pasta, pickles, ferments and cultures.
Dishes will include 'Burrata, Rhubarb & Broad Bean Tops', 'Grilled Asparagus, Stepney Farm leaves, Lovage Dressing’, and ‘Devon Crab Cappelletti, Brown Crab butter.
Grilled breads, moorish snacks and daily specials, alongside beers on tap and wine lists from small producers, will be offered all day. Guests are invited to drop in for casual drinks or to embrace convivial dining from long lunches through to late night dinners.
Plates such as ‘Swaledale Roast Chicken, Curry Sauce', 'Short Rib Beef Bun', and ‘Sourdough Flatbread, Desiree Potatoes, Ogleshield Cheese, Wild Garlic' will also be served outside on the expansive, sunny terrace, a rare asset in Shoreditch. The cocktail list will feature drinks named in honour of the team’s favourite East London parties from the early 2000’s that have since become legendary
Morten Jensen said, “This place is an institution, and deserved to be preserved and enjoyed by all. From the building’s original working class history to its more recent guise as one of the first original bars in the early 2000’s that helped make Shoreditch the place it is now.
'I’ve always loved this building, and have fought passionately to open the concept, even more so through a global pandemic. I’m so proud to be launching our new concept here.
'It’s important for us that everyone feels comfortable here and has fun, not just for the new residents but the original locals too. A lot of the programming will echo the iconic parties we used to put on in this area back before many were familiar with Shoreditch.
'This was a venue that resonated with Londoners, and we want to keep that nostalgia and also celebrate the original history of the building, but without directly recreating any of the past.”
Oliver Williamson, previous owner of The Light (2000-2014) said, “Wishing every success to the team behind the new Light Bar and the continued use of a beautiful building rightly saved from demolition.”