The Holy Birds (Closed)

Photography by The Holy Birds

Words by Simon Difford

The Holy Birds (Closed) image 1

Address: 94 Middlesex Street, Spitalfields, London, Greater London, E1 7EZ, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)20 3610 0185
Email: info@theholybirds.com
Website: view The Holy Birds (Closed)’s website
Door: Open door
Style: Restaurant bar
Food: Set menu
Established: 2016

Review

Best described as a posh Nando's with great cocktails and 1960s furnishings, The Holy Birds is officially billed as being "London's first poultry dining experience...", "serving up the best birds and finest cocktails."

Opened in December 2016 by brothers Gerry and Jon Calabrese, with a 60 strong cocktail menu curated by their father, Salvatore Calabrese, the cocktail offering here spans the decades with the best-known cocktails from each era represented, and in our experience well-executed.

Located close to Liverpool Street Station on Middlesex Street (better known as Petticoat Lane), The Holy Birds spans two floors with 60's Danish Modernist and mid-century furnishings and fittings hand-picked by the Calabrese Brothers. With lurid carpets and psychedelic patterns, this interior manages to avoid the risk of Del Boy meets Austin Powers to be both contemporary and homely - despite the vast scale of the place.

Upstairs, The Holy Birds restaurant serves snacks, brunches, lunches and dinner from an open kitchen with locally sourced, free-range poultry the speciality, including everything from rotisserie half & whole chicken, duck and grouse to wood pigeon, char-grilled quail, pheasant and The Holy Bird chicken burger. The opposite side of the room is more lounge-like with a long corner bar serving cocktails.

Downstairs, The Mule Bar cocktail lounge (open 6pm-late Thu, Fri and Sat) follows the same design cues. A state-of-the-art sound system also allows this space to morph from chilled lounge to out-and-out party cavern with guest DJs giving one-off performances.

This basement space also houses two private rooms available for hire - the Negroni Room featuring a solid oak dining table seating up to 12 people overlooked by an art-deco lampshade, and the Manhattan Room, a celebration of the swinging '60s which can house up to 45 people for receptions and drinks parties.

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