A new cocktail lounge and sake bar is set to open this month alongside a new rooftop restaurant on the 16th floor of a new hotel in Birmingham city centre.
Leading restaurateur Des McDonald is developing his latest venture, Rofuto (pictured), an izakaya-style restaurant serving high-quality modern Japanese cuisine, at the new Park Regis Hotel. It is to be launched on April 26.
Offering panoramic views of the city skyline, it will feature a bar, Kurabu Cocktail Lounge, with an array of wines, beers and soft drinks along with a cocktail list and sakes to complement the Japanese cuisine.
Fresh sake from Takashimizu Brewery in Northern Japan will be available alongside Koshua aged sake from Shiraki Brewery in central Japan.
Highlights on the cocktail list will include the Red Lotus, combining shochu, tequila, cranberry and lychee sorbet, and Kietsu which will be an exotic combination of infused raspberry sake, passion fruit liqueur, apple and pineapple.
Rofuto’s wine list will showcase some more unusual varieties such as Pecorino, Gewürztraminer and Pinot Blanc in the whites and a particular focus on lower-alcohol, low-tannin reds.
Developed with leading hospitality designers Tibbatts Abel, the interior will be inspired by a fusion of urban, industrial and warehouse design alongside a fun and vibrant cocktail lounge style. Warm rustic timber will be used throughout, with industrial tones and a palette of neutrals, warm taupes, greys and blacks.
Des said: “I am delighted to be opening my first modern Japanese restaurant Rofuto, with my partners at Park Regis Birmingham. I love rooftop spaces, having opened four successful restaurants on the roof of Selfridges in London.
“I fell in love with the unparalleled dramatic views from the 16th floor. Birmingham is a great, vibrant city and I’m excited to become part of its dynamic and diverse dining scene.”
Over the past three years, Des has opened restaurants around London, including Vintage Salt in Islington and Liverpool Street and Holborn Dining Room at the Rosewood London hotel as well as the pop-up Forest restaurant and bar at Selfridges. Outside of London, his ventures include The Printing Press Bar & Kitchen in Edinburgh and The Refectory Kitchen & Terrace at The Royal York Hotel in York.
