The Hippodrome Casino has invested £3 million in the opening of three new dining and drinking concepts, following the acquisition of an additional 2,400sq ft space on Leicester Square’s Cranbourn Street.
Opening in July, the first new outlet to bolster The Hippodrome’s expansive hospitality offering will be a collaboration with London-based CrêpeAffaire, creating a 1,200 square foot all-day café serving French crêpes and galettes, the brand’s new Crepe & Roll range, barista-quality coffees and desserts. An innovative evening concept of “Crêpes & Cocktails”, exclusive to CrêpeAffaire at The Hippodrome, will augment the offering. The interior of the street level café, designed by Rachel O’Toole, will create a relaxed living room vibe, and be accessible through a dedicated entrance on Cranbourn Street and from the main Hippodrome building.
Also in July, a new contemporary Chinese restaurant, Chop Chop by Four Seasons at The Hippodrome, will open on the lower ground floor. The interiors, also designed by Rachel O’Toole, will nod to old Hong Kong, with a menu featuring dishes such as Four Seasons’ renowned roast duck – named by The Financial Times as the best in the world – and premium dim sum, including a range of vegan options. A third opening – a new and hidden subterranean cocktail bar concept – will open on The Hippodrome’s lower ground food later this year.
The acquisitions and redevelopment form part of The Hippodrome’s wider growth and lifestyle-focused strategy, and will bolster the venue’s dining, drinking and entertainment credentials with the three openings joining the casino’s existing eight bars and fine-dining destination restaurant, Heliot Steak House.
Simon Thomas, executive chairman of The Hippodrome, said: “The Hippodrome has long led the way in the casino landscape, and the next phase of our development strategy is focused on elevating our position as a competitive lifestyle brand by enhancing the guest experience. Entertainment and hospitality are at the centre of everything we do at The Hippodrome, and we can’t wait to add these three new concepts to our already extensive hospitality offering. We’re delighted to be kicking off with the opening of CrêpeAffaire at The Hippodrome, and look forward to working closely with their creative team on this very exciting new project.”
Daniel Spinath, founder of CrêpeAffaire, said: “It’s long been an ambition to open in a prominent destination like Leicester Square, and we couldn’t ask for a better partner than The Hippodrome whose brand values of fun, hospitality and entertainment match our own. Our versatile all-day offer is perfectly matched to the area’s demographic of families, visitors to London and local workers.”
Kwan Lam, chief executive of Four Seasons, added: “We are delighted to be partnering with The Hippodrome to bring our globally recognised Chinese food to a broader demographic within such a historic venue. The Hippodrome’s ethos perfectly matches our own and we are looking forward to a long and successful collaboration.”
