London’s first Floating Pocket Park opened at the end of May 2017
Designed by acclaimed garden design Tony Wood, the new floating park in Paddington Basin can host up to 120 visitors and comes complete with its own canal-boat mooring.
This unique garden is the first of its kind in Central London and visitors can relax outdoors with al-fresco dining options available from the canal-side restaurants Heist, Pizza Express and KuPP. Picnic hampers are available to order from local food outlets including M&S Cafe and Lockhouse. Guests can enjoy the landscaped gardens and walkways or take advantage of the seating dotted around under the pergolas.
area will have lawns, multi-stemmed Tibetan cherry trees and flowers as well as seating and the main walkways over the water.
Merchant Square and craft food and drink venue, Lockhouse, are to launch a new pop-up bar on London’s premier ‘Floating Pocket Park’ in Paddington Basin on the Grand Union Canal. Opening on 10 June to celebrate World Gin Day, the Botanical Bar will serve an eclectic and imaginative range of gins and gin cocktails. The first of its kind, this exclusive bar can accommodate up to 100 guests and will run Thursdays and Fridays throughout the summer, from 12-9pm.
Serving signature cocktails such as ‘We’ve Got The Whole World Gin Our Hands’ made with premium Beefeater 24 and topped off with fresh lavender and lemon balm, all of the drinks will have a very botanical look and feel, featuring handpicked herbs and essences along with a fresh and colourful garnish to reflect their surroundings. Other cocktails on the menu will include, ‘Dr Greenthumb’, ‘Monkey Business’, ‘Island In The Sun’ and many more, each priced from £10.
Merchant Square is one of London’s most exciting new waterside destinations comprising luxury apartments, cafés, bars and restaurants; it is also home to international companies HQ’s such as M&S, EE and BMG Chrysalis. The landscaped canal-side setting provides the focal point for lunchtime and evening socialising, a weekly food market, events and numerous sporting activities.
The Botanical Bar will also feature a specially developed G&T menu, incorporating Beefeater London Dry Gin & Beefeater 24, Plymouth and Monkey 47 gins matched perfectly to one of the many ‘skillfully distilled mixers’ from The London Essence Company, including Classic Tonic, Grapefruit and Rosemary Tonic, Bitter Orange and Elderflower Tonic and Ginger Ale.
Alongside this the bar will serve a range of refreshing mocktails, Perrier-Jouet Champagne by the glass, an extensive array of premium soft drinks and fresh Cornish ice cream.
To complement the drinks offering, the Botanical Bar will also host a programme of cocktail making masterclasses and gin tasting events.
The incredible Floating Pocket Park provides the perfect setting to enjoy a cocktail. The 8,000-square foot Pocket Park will be open all year with the design adapting to the seasons, and will feature open lawn areas, an abundance of flowers and shrubs, raised borders and communal seating. It will also allow people to walk over the water on a series of decked platforms and walkways. Bespoke planting has been developed to encourage wildlife and the park includes a separate pontoon designed to attract ground-nesting birds.
The floating Botanical Bar provides the opportunity for Londoners to re-connect with the canal and enjoy this newly developed urban ‘green space’ the perfect setting to watch the sun go down with a G&T or enjoy a warm summer evening with a cocktail in your hand.
To find out more visit: www.merchantsquare.co.uk