VENUE MENU
Executive PA’s pick of the
best alfresco restaurants
With spring well and truly sprung and hopes of a long summer, we’ve scoured the country for some of the best restaurants to meet clients and hold business meetings and dinners in
the great outdoors BY ANDY HOLLIS
World Service, Nottingham
Housed in the elegant surroundings of 17th Century Newdigate House, World Service restaurant has been named four times as best overall restaurant in the Nottingham Restaurant Awards. The walled oriental gar- den can seat about 30 diners for lunch, and can be hired in the evening for business functions. Decorated with Indonesian artefacts, a gazebo and a Ganesh, the garden offers a restful retreat to get down to business. Changing daily, both the lunch and a La Carte menus offer modern British dishes using fresh market produce.
Contact: www.worldservicerestaurant.com; 0115 847 5587
Choice Bar and Restaurant, Manchester
Tucked away in a corner of Castlefields basin area of the city overlooking the canal, this mod- ern restaurant serves traditional British food with a classy twist. The converted spice ware- house has been voted as one of the top 10 places to dine by the riverside by The Sunday Times and is an AA rosette winner among many other awards. As its name suggests, the menu is imag- inative and extensive, specialising in contempo- rary regional recipes using the finest local pro- duce. Outside on a large patio is seating for 40, but it can cater for more than 200 for a standing event. Or just set up a long lunch meeting, choose a bottle from the extensive wine list, and relax as narrowboats amble past.
Contact: www.choicebarandrestaurant.co.uk;
0161 833 3400
Coq d’Argent, London
Perched above the Square Mile at No. 1 Poultry, the Coq d’Argent is a real highlight, boasting a remarkable roof garden with superb views over the City. With the hustle and bustle going on below, this elegant French restaurant and bar offers a calmer perspective to help seal an important deal. Its lawned Bar Terrace is available to hire for alfresco drinks and canapé receptions for up to 100 people. Music and fireworks can add even more sparkle to this glamorous venue. Coq d’Argent was nominated for Best Business Lunch in the London Restaurants Awards in 2008, and head chef Mickeal Weiss won a Chef of the Year in the 2009 Craft of Guild of Chefs awards.
Contact: www.coqdargent.co.uk; 0207 3955000
Alfresco, Brighton
Treat a business client to a healthy dose of sea air over lunch or dinner at Brighton’s Alfresco. Lounging on the beach just 100m from the West Pier, this Italian restaurant has spectacu- lar views of the south coast. Its curves resemble a lighthouse and stretch to a semicircular ter- race with a smart decked balcony overlooking the beaches. Outside functions can be enjoyed by up to 50 people seated, or 110 for a standing reception. It is a restaurant for all seasons: in autumn enjoy wonderful sunsets coupled with the magical formations created by starlings, in winter majestic seas, in spring brilliant skies and in summer beaming sunshine.
Contact: www.alfresco-brighton.co.uk; 0872 148 5732.
Beetle and Wedge, Oxfordshire
Set on the banks of the Thames immortalised in The Wind in the Willows, this beautiful old beamed boathouse is the epitome of tranquillity. Share the warm and friendly atmosphere, idyllic location and great service with a new contact for an unforgettable first impression. An ever-chang- ing menu offers fresh fish, seasonal game, soups, salads, shellfish and specials from an open char- coal grill. The terrace, just a few feet from the river, seats 38 or about 50 for a standing canapé style reception. The restaurant has a ‘Four Star Restaurant with rooms rating’ under the British Common Standard for Guest Accommodation.
Contact: www beetleandwedge.co.uk; 01491 651381.
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