Louche 1970s Paris will come to Chelsea next month with the arrival of Venus Bar, a new underground cocktail bar just off Sloane Square. Venus Bar opens on October 9 below newly opened Brasserie Olivia – but it’ll bring an entirely different feel from the grand brasserie above. When guests descend a wooden staircase that sits in the middle of the restaurant, they’ll find a moody oak-panelled room that brings after-hours Paris to Chelsea. The bar is named for the Venus Fountain that sits in nearby Sloane Square; above the bar a silver sculpture of Venus will perch.
Vinyl will line the shelves, with a collection spanning from the 1940s to the 1980s, taking in French songbirds, classical and rock, played through custom speakers from B&C Acoustic. The room will be filled with antique tchotchkes sourced from French flea markets, like glass absinthe fountains and chess sets. Guests will sit on green velvet chairs around oak tables illuminated with antique silver candlesticks.
Behind the chrome bar, bartender Jennifer Le Nechet and her team will play with technique and ingredients to craft drinks with unexpected flavours. There’ll be a cucumber and gin milk punch that tastes like tzatziki and a tomato-infused Negroni. The 75-strong wine list will incorporate France’s various regions, while a snack menu includes oysters shucked at the oyster bar upstairs, and cheesy gougères.
Venus Bar and Brasserie Chelsea mark the first international openings for French restaurant group La Nouvelle Garde which, as its name suggests, aims to bring classic French brasserie culture into the 21st century. The design is by frequent collaborator B3 Designers, which has worked on several of the group’s venues, including Brasserie Olivia. “Venus Bar is a reflection of the vibrant late-night scene of Paris and we are excited to inject this energy to the centre of Chelsea,” co-founder and CEO Charles Perez said in a statement.
Venus Bar opens on October 9 at 1 Sloane Square, SW1W 8EE.
