An exclusive Nottingham fine dining restaurant opens a West Bridgford site this month drawing inspiration from a speakeasy bar.
Table 47, located on Bridlesmith Gate in Nottingham, launched its bespoke service in May 2024.
The venue is about to embark on the next stage of its evolution.
The aptly named Chapter 2 will open on Pavilion Road in West Bridgford at the end of April.
Owner and chef Nichola Thompson said:
“Prepare for another dynamic addition to Nottingham’s exclusive dining scene. Chapter 2 will be a destination restaurant and bar, with an emphasis on locally sourced quality food, sustainability and exclusivity, but with a twist.”
Table 47 and Chapter 2 are not traditional restaurants that attract walk-in customers. Instead, they offer pre-booked dining experiences, either hired for events or intimate dinners, with bespoke menus, tasting menus or canapés, with show cooking forming part of the service.
The Nottingham-born chef, who trained in the restaurants of Gordon Ramsay and Gary Rhodes and was the chef at award-winning venue Larwood & Voce, as well as the Nottingham Forest Academy Player Chef, said: “Our West Bridgford venue will be next level.
“We hope it will widen the appeal of a bespoke dining experience.”
As a larger-capacity venue, the premises will hold up to 200 people for events or accommodate between 60 and 80 diners. The venture is expected to create up to 25 jobs.
Nichola has again commissioned Midland Joinery to create an individually designed long table to showcase at-table cooking.
Diners will also have private access to a secluded courtyard.
Plans are in place to organise themed nights, with a stage for live music and, like its sister venue, it will host wine tastings and tasting menu events.
At the core of the business is its trademark bespoke private dining service.
The décor, however, moves away from the boutique design of the city centre venue, with its deep mahogany fittings and blue and gold tones.
For Chapter 2, Nichola has promised a cool speakeasy feel for the new basement venue, with features including an open kitchen, a wraparound bar and even a cigar room.
This will be hosted by Long Eaton firm House of Holmes Cigars, with dehumidifiers installed to allow for cigar tasting sessions.
Chapter 2 will be located in a building previously home to Hubble Bubble Bar, which closed two years ago.
Thanks to a £250,000 investment, the basement venue and courtyard areas have been the subject of a complete overhaul by Nottingham-based PARC Developments, with Mapperley firm Gallery enlisted for its skills in creating the kitchen design and fit-out. Joining Nichola from the outset is front-of-house manager Tom Winch.
He has previously assisted at Table 47 during guest chef takeover events and worked with Nichola at Bluu Bar in the Lace Market when they were both starting their careers, a venue which has since closed.
He said: “Chapter 2 is going to be amazing. This basement venue will reflect Table 47’s reputation for quality and service, with menus completely designed around individual parties and our expertise in show cooking.
“It will also offer a larger capacity and an outdoor courtyard space, allowing us to do things a little differently.
Nichola added: “These really are exciting times. Chapter 2 is once again a destination venue, with its speakeasy feel and exclusivity.
“I never expected to reach this stage in the business’s development so soon, but I also did not expect to have a four-month waiting list for Table 47 at this point.
“Initially, people did not quite understand what we were trying to achieve with the bespoke dining concept. Now it has proven itself, there was a gap in the market for such a venue and it has been a huge success.
“This is only chapter two in the business’s story. We have more chapters planned and maybe even a plot twist to come.”
The new venue is scheduled to open at the end of April.