Approach the glass fronted facade and glimpse into a haven that includes a stunning bar, two cocktail lounges, a contemporary kitchen complete with chef’s table, decadent wine store and a quintessentially British delicatessen, courtesy of Borough Market’s finest producers. Now open on Gresham Street in the City, The Anthologist offers discerning guests something a little out of the ordinary.
Encapsulating a collection of all your favourite things, the anthologist offers a seasonal all day menu, vintages from across the globe, skinny cocktails, a mixology table and an assortment of spaces for any occasion including a private room complete with 1950’s kitchen.
Drinks
Specialising in a superlative collection of cocktails from beloved signatures to skinnies (at less than 100 calories a pop), The Anthologist continues to push the boundaries of innovative mixology and experimentation. Developed in collaboration with star mixologist Tom Aske from Fluid Movement, signatures include kunsei treacle - Pampero Aniversario rum stirred with sugar, bitters and apple; or the botanist - Tanqueray gin muddled with cucumber, ginger syrup, lemon juice and black pepper and finished with fresh basil leaves, from just £5.95.
Calorie counted cocktails on the ‘skinny’ list are ideal for those who take ‘from the lips to the hips’ a little more seriously. The skinny avant garde - Don Alvaro Blanco tequila with vanilla liqueur, grapefruit juice, cardamom bitters charged with Co2 (90kcal); or skinny elderflower fizz - St Germain elderflower liqueur mixed with dry white wine and topped with soda (95kcal) are ideal trim tipples.
A selection of signature and skinny punch jars and bottles start from £16.95 and serve four, making ideal party starters whilst a retro cocktail trolley complete with your very own mixologist is a must when you want someone to personally shake it up for you.
The wine list is equally impressive with a veritable variety of vintages from across both new and old worlds and, with over 40 available by the glass, guests are spoilt for choice. Logically listed, and starting from a modest £13.50 a bottle, wines are grouped together according to depth and flavour allowing unoaked, aromatic dry whites to balance the fuller flavoured, intense reds. Prosecco and champagne are well stocked and cater for City celebrations with bottles of Dom Perignon and Krug Grand Cuvée.
Flirting with a wine flight may be an alternative to committing to a whole bottle, as guests may indulge in three 125ml glasses of varieties such as pinot noir, rose, shiraz or bubbly from just £8.75. For special occasions, the fine wine list is sure to impress with a bottle of Chassagne-Montrachet, les Chenevottes, 1er Cru, Jean Noel Gagnard Cote de Beaune, Burgundy, France 2006 at £85, or the Chateau Beausejour Duffau Lagarosse, Grand Cru Classe St Emilion, France 2003 at £80.
Food & Deli
Serving breakfast from 8am, The Anthologist is the ideal destination for a quick coffee and warm pastry on the go, or a more relaxed ‘fully loaded’ traditional English with the morning paper. With free WiFi throughout, there’s no better place to stop when out of the office. Come lunch and dinner, the modern European menu champions local and seasonal produce, with Borough Market favourites such as Neal’s Yard and the Flour Station featuring alongside Allen’s of Mayfair. Offering a range of nibbles for one or more to share, sharing boards, gourmet sandwiches and burgers as well as hearty mains and zesty salads, The Anthologist’s menu is filled with innovative dishes.
Sharing boards include the superfood board with butternut squash, red onion, goat’s cheese, spinach and roasted pecans and a selection of antipasto boards with cured meats and handmade breads from the deli. A decadent seafood vault (served in a bank deposit box) is a playful dish with crustacea specialities including lobster, oysters, razor clams, mussels and prawns.
Mains are traditional with pulled chicken, ham and pea pie with mash and homemade piccalilli; pea and goats cheese risotto with parmesan and rocket; or fish in beer batter with chips and homemade tartare sauce. Salads are punchy and range from a contemporary watermelon and feta salad with baby gem lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes and mint; to Californian hot smoked salmon with baby spinach, pine nuts, spring onion, sun dried tomatoes and a ginger dressing. To finish, a classic knickerbocker glory or banana split with cherry jelly, vanilla mousse and banana parfait are sure to bring back childhood memories.
Browse the wonderfully-stocked deli and pick up foodie delights including a fruity pink grapefruit marmalade, tomato and tamarind relish or a punchy piccalilli. Bursting with freshly made breads, sandwiches and cured meats, the deli is a quick and easy option for those grabbing a bite to have at their desk. Doubling as a mixology table in the evenings, the long marble deli bar is great for mixing and muddling.
Design
Exposed brick, antique mirrors, a marble mixology table, a lovers swing seat and a 1950’s style kitchen are just some of the statement pieces to be discovered in The Anthologist. Through the central double doors, guests are greeted with a capacious bar filled with colour, texture, style and a playful sense of fun. Reclaimed pine flooring leads guests around vibrant orange high tables to an impressive walnut bar that is the central focus of the whole venue.
To the right is the open plan kitchen where The Anthologist chefs are seen prepping, peeling and serving at the pass. Diners can pull up a stool here to catch all the action or slip into the lilac alcove chef’s table complete with vibrant cerise and white chairs, and walls adorned with botanical sketches from floor to ceiling. Raised cabana style seating perched in the windows allows diners to sit aloft whilst the main dining area is filled with low-level tables and stocky wooden benches. Empty magnum bottles hang from the deli ceiling and an aged chest of drawers is topped with baskets of fresh produce and jars of vibrant sweets.
To the left of the main entrance are two striking cocktail lounges, the first called the snug is cleverly partitioned with laser cut metal screens to create a semi-private space for guests. With wood-panelled walls bathed in lavender the effect is serene yet sophisticated. The Gresham room is the second, holding up to 55 seated guests along milk chocolate banquettes and contemporary white rocking chairs.
Down the champagne-cased staircase couples can enjoy a quiet moment on the swing chair, before making their way past ‘pepper’, the black pig who is only to happy to hold your drinks, before stumbling upon Studio 58. A private room for up to 60 guests, the studio comes complete with a 1950’s kitchen, ultimately where all the good parties start and finish, and doubles as a private bar (hired with or without a mixologist). Brushed white, the space includes a mezzanine tasting table for private dinners or wine tastings for 12.
Open from 8am till late, Monday - Friday and available for exclusive hire on weekends, with ‘wine to go’, music and a late license until 2 am on Thursday and Friday, The Anthologist is a collection of spaces brought together with style, sophistication and substance.
The Anthologist
58 Gresham Street, London EC2V 7BB
T: 0845 468 0101
