A meatball restaurant is opening in the City and, rather excellently, it’s called Ballroom.
Ballroom is the brainchild of bar and restaurant entrepreneur Christian Arden, who spent his childhood in the Italian town of San Gimignano. He grew up watching his grandma create wonderful food, and decided to take her traditional recipes to the Ballroom kitchen.
Developing grandma’s recipes slightly, Ballroom’s menu features hand-rolled beef, pork, Thai-chicken, Moroccan lamb meatballs, and even fish and vegan balls. All the balls come served with your choice of carb; from creamy mash and couscous to pasta and wilted greens. They’re even available to takeaway, if you fancy a grab ‘n’ go lunch.
All the ingredients are locally sourced, too. For example, the vegetables come from Covent Garden and the meat comes from HG Walter in Hammersmith.
It’s not all about the meaty balls, either. The restaurant will in fact be open from 7am, serving up fantastic coffee from Caravan Coffee Roasters, as well as some excellent pastries and a breakfast meatball bap that puts Egg McMuffins to shame.
The interiors have been designed by Stuart Taylor, the creative genius behind Ceviche and Rum Kitchen’s lovely looks. The space will be a mix of industrial chic and art deco styling, along with some millennial neon lighting, because Instagram.
Beneath the Ballroom you’ll find the Ballroom Basement Bar; a secret, underground speakeasy serving up a very basic and unpretentious list of drinks. There’ll be a selection of just three classic cocktails — the Negroni, the Old Fashioned and the Margarita — as well as a great selection of wines, spirits and beers. Oh and the drinks will be accompanied by tapas style meatballs, just to continue the theme.
You’ll find Ballroom at 39a Eastcheap, EC3M 1DT. More info here.
If you’re game for Italian food but you’re more about slices of pizza than spheres of meat, check out our ultimate guide to London’s best pizza.