Dining with a view in central London receives a boost next week with the launch of Arcus at the revamped Imperial Hotel in Russell Square – pitched as the first rooftop restaurant and bar in Bloomsbury.
Set on the tenth floor, Arcus has almost 360-degree views over some of London’s most famous sights, including St Paul’s, the London Eye and the domes of the British Museum. The kitchen is run by head chef Abismael Urena Castillo, previously of Le Gavroche, and the bar by Floriano Cubeddu, formerly of Cé La Vi in Paddington and the Goring in Belgravia.
The 357-bedroom hotel, which occupies a distinctive 1960s ‘Brutalist’ building, has also incorporated a branch of fresh pasta specialist Bancone on the ground floor. The sixth Bancone branch and the first inside a hotel, it has 140 covers and features an open kitchen and an outdoor terrace that can accommodate 60 al fresco diners.
