Pop in for surprise menus at pop-up restaurant

Newbury bistro plans to host guest chefs during the week

THERE are big plans in place for 16 Bartholomew Street.

Brebis, the popular French restaurant which previously occupied the building, closed earlier this year and has now reopened as Restaurant Nomadic.

Currently, Restaurant Nomadic operates on Friday and Saturday nights.

But restaurant manager James Mansfield has unveiled some ambitious plans for the future.

He said: “We thought to ourselves ‘wouldn’t it be great if other people who do not have a restaurant, like mobile food vendors, could come in for one night a week each during the week’.

“In the future we hope we might find other ‘foodie’ businesses to take up a slot.

“There’s only one other place like it in the world as far as I am aware. It’s very exciting.

“We want to call it @16 Bartholomew Street.”

Mr Mansfield has already trialled the idea by offering Isidro’s – a Newbury market favourite which offers home-cooked Vietnamese and Thai food – a guest slot on a Thursday evening.

He said: “Originally our intention was to buy a double-decker bus and have it as a restaurant called Nomadic.

“Due to various circumstances, we still have this building and also have a double-decker bus at a nearly complete stage.

“When the bus is up and running we want to tour around different areas during the week and, while we are on tour, allow other guest chefs to come in and cook every night.

“That way, people could try something different seven days a week at the same venue.”