A world-first “gastronomic amusement park” inspired by characters from the DC Comics “multiverse” — including Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman — is to open in Soho this summer.
The immersive 330-seat venue called Park Row will have five restaurants and three bars in a cavernous art deco basement once occupied by chef Marco Pierre White’s Titanic.
The spaces include British-themed Pennyworth’s (named after Bruce Wayne’s butler, Alfred); the Iceberg Lounge centred on a bar with a huge ice sculpture of the Penguin; a Harley Quinn-inspired Japanese omakase bar; a “speakeasy-style” cocktail bar called Old Gotham City; and the Monarch Theatre, where diners will be able to watch immersive content inspired by the DC universe while eating a £120-a-head tasting menu.
Molecular gastronomy innovations will include a mock-up of the Bat Cave with pipes pumping out “different flavoured molecules to prompt a range of emotions” and remote-controlled carts that will take edible helium balloons and nitrogen popcorn around tables in the Iceberg Lounge. Cocktails will include a Harvey Dent/Two-Face-inspired “hot and cold Earl Grey tea negroni”.
Park Row will be run by the former boss of Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck restaurant empire, James Bulmer, who said: “Food and drink will be at the core of what we do; you will never see anyone dressed as a character. The power of DC is that it allows us to play around with some crazy food ideas.”
Diners will be “actively discouraged” from arriving to eat dressed as their favourite DC characters, although there will be regular private “cosplay” evenings.
The interiors at 77 Brewer Street were designed by the practice of Ab Rogers, son of “starchitect” Lord Rogers.
Mr Bulmer is chief creative officer of operator Wonderland Restaurants, which has signed a long-term partnership with DC’s owners, Warner Bros. DC movies are doing well at the box office — last year’s Joker is now the most profitable comic-book movie ever. Its latest film, Birds Of Prey starring Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, was released last week.
Mr Bulmer said he hopes to have the restaurant open in time to host the afterparty for the June premiere of Wonder Woman 1984, starring Gal Gadot.
