The Charleston Is Finally Bringing Cocktails, Brunch, Jazz & More To Bakewell

Jen Bell I Editor I Good Life List Peak District
May 19
3 min read

*Sneak peek of food at The Charleston. Image Credit: Tom Hodgson Photography*

It is fair to say Bakewell people have been talking about The Charleston for quite a while now.

And after months of speculation, planning discussions and increasingly nosey peeks through the windows of the old bank building, the town’s long-awaited new bar and restaurant is finally moving closer to opening this summer.

Set inside the former Royal Bank of Scotland building in the middle of Bakewell, The Charleston is the huge new project from Longbow Venues, the group behind places including The Maynard, The Peacock at Rowsley and The Ashford Arms.

And, in our opinion, it feels quite unlike anything else currently in Bakewell.

The £2.6 million transformation will turn the Grade II-listed building into a 1920s-inspired restaurant and cocktail bar spread across two floors, complete with live jazz, late-night drinks, brunches, a courtyard terrace and even a private dining room hidden inside the original bank vault.

Yes, really.

Named The Speakeasy, the vault dining room will seat up to 10 people and feels very much designed for people who enjoy a cocktail and saying things like:

“We know a little place…”

So, what exactly is it?

The Charleston is aiming to be one of those places that changes mood throughout the day.

Mornings will focus on speciality coffee, pastries, cakes and brunch dishes, before shifting into cocktails, dinner and live music later in the evening.

Early menu teasers include things like:

buttermilk chicken waffles with maple bacon and coffee bacon jam
avocado and spinach mousse with crispy eggs
spritz cocktails
French brasserie-inspired dishes
late-night drinks and jazz performances around the baby grand piano

Which is probably not what most people expect to find inside an old Derbyshire bank.

And that is very much the point.

*The buttermilk chicken waffles with maple bacon and coffee bacon jam. Image Credit: Tom Hogdson Photography*

The courtyard could very well become one of Bakewell’s biggest summer spots

One of the standout parts of the project is the large courtyard, which will seat around 90 people outside.

If the weather behaves - admittedly always a bit of a gamble in the Peak District - it could easily become one of the busiest summer drinking and dining spots in town.

Inside, the design is leaning heavily into the 1920s influence, with warm lighting, rich textures, ornate original features and a more glamorous feel than Bakewell usually does.

Think less:

“quick coffee after a walk.”

“shall we stay for another cocktail?”

There is a bit of history behind it too

For Longbow founder Rob Hattersley, the project is also personal.

His parents owned Aitch’s Wine Bar & Bistro in Bakewell between 1982 and 2004, and he says The Charleston is partly inspired by the atmosphere people still remember from those days.

“My hospitality career started at Aitch’s when I was 14,” he said.

“Since it closed, people have often said there’s been a gap - somewhere with that mix of energy, great food, warm hospitality and a bit of occasion. The Charleston is about capturing that spirit for today.”