It’s been a backdrop to Pink Floyd’s “Animals” album and seen in such films as “The King’s Speech”, “The Dark Knight”, and “Children of Men”.
Since Battersea stopped pumping thick smoke into the central London air in 1983, there have been plenty of plans for regeneration, including ideas of theme parks and football stadiums. But the site was bought for £400 million (now RM2.13 billion) in 2012, resulting in a £9-billion transformation.
The London project has Malaysian interests: a consortium comprising Sime Darby Property, SP Setia, and the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) own the project, while Permodalan Nasional Bhd and EPF have been the long-term commercial asset holders since 2019.
It opens to the public today for the first time, following the launch officiated by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah yesterday.
The project will have plenty of options for architecture fans and tech workers – Apple’s London headquarters will be here – to eat and drink, including a 24,000-sq-ft food hall from hospitality power players JKS, the group behind the Michelin-starred hotspot Gymkhana.
“It’s a big moment for London,” says Charlie Gilkes, co-founder of the hospitality business Inception Group, which has turned one of the former electricity control rooms into a bar called Control Room B.
“I’ve lived in Battersea my whole life, and I was born in 1984, so the station has always been empty for me. It’s great that life is being breathed back into it.”
The original Control Room B was built after World War II. In tandem with Control Room A, it managed the distribution of the power generated by the plant’s turbines.
Gilkes says the archive team told him a legend about an old employee at the Battersea power station who had the daily job of going through a tunnel under the Thames to check on a switch and make sure everything was fine. This would take him three hours.
It turned out he had spent most of that time across the river, in a pub at the other side of the tunnel.
You won’t have to disappear into a tunnel under the river to get a drink now. Staff at Control Room B – dressed as engineers from the 1950s, complete with boiler suits – will serve up drinks from a menu that includes cocktails with such names as Battery Licker (rum, Disaronno, syrup, and coffee), for £12, and a Coal-Powered Negroni (with activated charcoal) at £13.
From offerings by Gordon Ramsay to microbreweries, here are some further top options for eating and drinking at Battersea Power Station:
- Where the Pancakes Are
Pancakes aren’t just for breakfast anymore. Sure, you could order the American, fluffy buttermilk pancakes with maple syrup and streaky bacon for £13.50 – but more savoury, bolder options include the Pulled Beef Pastrami, which includes two pancakes alongside slow-cooked brisket, cheddar, sauerkraut, and Thousand Island dressing for £15.50.
Patricia Trijbits, chief executive officer and founder of the restaurant, says: “It will really be a joy to see diners tucking into our daytime and evening dishes in such an awe-inspiring space.”
She says the eatery has many fun things planned for Battersea Power Station, from book clubs gathering over crepes to outdoor yoga, followed by nourishing pancakes.
- Battersea Brewery
The craft beer in this on-site tap room is as fresh as it comes, with a rotating selection of lager, bitter, Scotch ale, IPA, and more on tap. Wine and such comforting pub grub as cheese-and-onion toasties are also available.
- Fiume
The restaurant’s location, right on the Thames’s south bank in the Battersea Power Station’s Circus West Village, informs its name: “fiume” is the Italian word for river.
Head chef Francesco Mazzei brings his love for the food of the Amalfi Coast to Battersea, focusing on the region’s traditional seafood, such as lemon taglioni (£28.50). When London’s weather behaves, diners can sit out on the piazza and take in views of the river over a spritz.
- Bread Street Kitchen & Bar
This Gordon Ramsay chain says it will bring a “New York loft feel” to the turbine hall. Signature dishes include beef Wellington with creamy mashed potatoes with a red wine jus, and a Himalayan salt dry-aged steak cooked on a wood-fired grill.
There’s also an outpost of Gordon’s Street Pizza, which serves bottomless pizzas for £16 a person.
- Wright Brothers
It’s all about seafood with the Wright Brothers, who have supplied top such top London chefs as Jason Atherton and Angela Hartnett with it for nearly two decades. The menu changes daily, according to which fresh fish is available; oysters are a must-try, with the house selection of six on the half-shell coming in at £21.
Weekend brunch with a £22.75 lobster Benedict is another highlight.
- Arcade Food Hall
Coming in 2023, the new food hall will be at the “heart” of Battersea Power Station with a huge selection of cuisines for every taste. It will be similar to the Arcade Food Hall on Oxford Street, but with twice the square footage.
The original has an in-house deli, Nepalese street food, a sushi shop, and a fried chicken joint, among other options. Already announced are Bao, a Taiwanese restaurant, and a cocktail bar.
Find out more about Battersea Power Station here.