The Charleston Opens This Weekend: Menus, Cocktails And Everything We Know So Far

Cured scallops on English muffins. Duck pastrami Benedicts. Crayfish and lobster ravioli. Espresso martinis. A private dining room hidden inside a former bank vault.

If you've walked through Bakewell recently, you've probably noticed something changing on the corner of Granby Road.

The lights are now strung across the courtyard. The Charleston sign has gone up above the entrance. Illuminated menu cases glow against the stone walls outside. After months of speculation, planning applications and social media chatter, The Charleston is starting to look very real indeed.

And now we know exactly when the doors will open.

The Charleston officially opens on Saturday 27th June inside the former Royal Bank of Scotland building in the centre of Bakewell.

The £2.6 million project is the latest venture from the team behind The Peacock at Rowsley, The Maynard, The George Hathersage and The Ashford Arms. It's also been one of the most talked-about hospitality developments in Bakewell for months.

With bookings now open and the menus released, we've taken a closer look at what visitors can expect.

The Building Everyone Has Been Talking About

The former bank occupies one of the most prominent locations in Bakewell, sitting just a short stroll from the river and the town's busy market square.

When The Charleston opens, it will feature a stylish ground-floor bar, an upstairs restaurant and a courtyard with space for around 90 guests. It's a substantial venue and one that feels considerably larger than many people probably realise from the outside.

Then there's The Speakeasy.

Rather than removing the original bank vault, Longbow Venues has transformed it into a private dining room hidden within the building.

Dinner inside a former bank vault wasn't on our Bakewell bingo card, but we're completely sold on the idea.

It Looks Like Someone Has Dropped A Little Bit Of London Or Manchester Into Bakewell

What strikes us most isn't actually the food.

It's the ambition.

Most Peak District venues (understandably) embrace cosy country inn charm, roaring fires and traditional dining rooms. The Charleston feels like it's aiming for something different.

The interiors take inspiration from the glamour of the 1920s, with a baby grand piano, Art Deco influences and a drinks menu packed with references to the Roaring Twenties. Live jazz, soul and swing performances are also planned throughout the week.

It feels closer to the sort of venue you might expect to stumble across in London, Manchester, Leeds or Sheffield than in the middle of Bakewell, and that's precisely what makes it so interesting and exciting.

Brunch Might Be The Main Event

The Peak District has no shortage of places serving breakfast.

The Charleston appears to be aiming somewhere rather more adventurous.

The brunch menu includes cured scallops with poached eggs and hollandaise tartare on an English muffin, tea-smoked duck pastrami Benedict, shakshuka with quail eggs and a steak and egg dish featuring bistro steak glazed with plum and Szechuan spice.

Elsewhere you'll find buttermilk chicken served inside a golden waffle with maple bacon and coffee-and-bacon jam, Turkish eggs, coconut chia pudding with mango and passion fruit, and a Florentine Gatsby topped with avocado and spinach mousse.

If brunch is your favourite meal of the day, this is probably the section of the menu worth having a look at first.

Then The Menu Changes Direction

As the day progresses, the menu shifts towards seafood, meat and more substantial evening dishes.

Crayfish and lobster ravioli arrives with a bouillabaisse cream sauce, while Derbyshire beef fillet is served with Diane sauce, duchess potatoes and tenderstem broccoli. There's also lamb loin with pomegranate chimichurri, pancetta-wrapped chicken supreme, pan-fried cod with walnut and chicory velouté, and slow-cooked rabbit wrapped in pancetta.

Smaller plates include scallop and chorizo skewers, venison carpaccio with apple gel, duck bonbons, poached halibut and a twice-baked charcoal cheddar soufflé.

The Longbow Signature Burger also makes an appearance, topped with BBQ beef brisket, double cheese and harissa mayo.

The Cocktails Deserve Their Own Mention

We'll admit our eyes went straight to the Spicy Margarita (£13), largely because it's one of our favourite cocktails!

But there are plenty of other temptations.

The drinks menu includes Passion Fruit Martinis, Watermelon Smashes, French Martinis, Mojitos and a Bakewell Belle made with vanilla vodka, Disaronno, almond, cherry and shortbread. There are Champagne cocktails, smoked Old Fashioneds, Negronis, Manhattans and Clover Clubs, all wrapped up in menu sections with names like Giggle Water Greats, Flapper Favourites and The Champagne Rebellion.

It's playful without feeling gimmicky and ties neatly into the building's 1920s inspiration.

In our opinion, the prices feel quite reasonable too, with most cocktails sitting around the £12 to £13 mark.

Not Just An Evening Destination

Interestingly, The Charleston isn't positioning itself solely as a restaurant and cocktail bar.

During the day, visitors will also be able to call in for coffee, pastries, cakes, filled croissants and afternoon tea.

The house coffee blend has been developed alongside Sheffield roasters Roastology, while the drinks offering extends from flat whites and dirty chai lattes through to matcha, turmeric and beetroot lattes.

It feels very much designed to be somewhere people can pop into throughout the day rather than only visiting for dinner.

And Yes, Bakewell Tart Is On The Menu

Given the postcode, it would have been brave not to include one.

The dessert menu features a homemade Bakewell Tart served with crème anglaise and raspberry sorbet, alongside pistachio and mango cheesecake, flourless chocolate brownie with coffee and matcha mousse, strawberry Eton mess and something called The Charleston Gourmand, a tasting plate of miniature desserts for those who struggle to choose just one.

A problem we know all too well...

Where Can You Stay?

We know a few people will be travelling from outside of the area to visit The Charleston, including Manchester, Sheffield and Leeds. While The Charleston doesn't have rooms itself, there are plenty of local options.

We would suggest The Rutland Arms in Bakewell if you want to be super close as it is literally steps away.

The Ashford Arms in nearby Ashford-in-the-Water if you're after quintessential Peak District historic inn charm - or The Peacock at Rowsley for a splash of luxury. Both The Ashford Arms and The Peacock are a short taxi or Uber ride away. Five minutes at the most.

When Does The Charleston Open?

The Charleston officially opens on Saturday 27th June and bookings are now available.

We'll be heading along ourselves as soon as possible and will publish a full review once we've had the chance to experience it properly.

For now, based on what we've seen from the menus, the drinks list and the building itself, this feels like one of the most exciting hospitality openings Bakewell has seen in recent years.

And if we're making one prediction now, it's this: the table inside the former bank vault is likely to become one of the hardest reservations to secure anywhere in the Peak District.

Bookings are now open via The Charleston website.

All Images Credit: Tom Hodgson Photography