How Bank House brings accessible luxury to leafy Chislehurst

Discover how Bank House brings a taste of luxury to Bromley

Bank House was the first restaurant launched by husband and wife team, Stuart and Cecilia Gillies, after 40 years at the top of the hospitality world. The wine bar-cum-kitchen on Chislehurst High Street provides a relaxed, modern European and traditional British dining experience in this quaint part of south east London.

Bank House was launched in 2019 and occupies an imposing, former Victorian bank. It displays colourful art, velvet furnishings and cosy exposed brickwork which help soften the old commercial building to create a relaxed, stylish and light-filled restaurant on the High Street of this picturesque London suburb.

Stuart was previously CEO of The Gordon Ramsay Group for seven years and before that earned international acclaim as chef at Michelin starred restaurants such as Daniel in New York, Hotel Lord Byron in Rome and The Connaught alongside Angela Hartnett. He’s also recognised for regular TV appearances on shows including Saturday Kitchen, Hell’s Kitchen and Great British Menu.

Cecilia, meanwhile, brings extensive front-of-house experience to the restaurant. She trained at the prestigious Le Boeuf sur le Toit in Paris, before heading to London to open Marco Pierre White’s Criterion and relaunch Soho’s iconic Quo Vadis with the legendary chef.

The menu at Bank House leans on local produce from Kentish farms and artisan suppliers Stuart and his team have built relationships with over many years, to deliver premium products at a fair price. The dishes reflect Stuart’s years, cooking and tasting his way around the world from Stockholm and Rome to New York and London.

We recommend starting your culinary journey with smaller plates made for sharing. Who can resist Crispy Potato Bites, especially when they come with a great Sriracha mayo? The highlight though has to be the Chorizo and Honey. These bitesized picks are bursting with flavour, with the smokiness of the chorizo perfectly balanced with the sweet honey.

Among the eclectic starters are two fab choices in particular: the BBQ Buttermilk Chicken is expertly cooked and comes with a very nice blue cheese sauce, while the Tempura Tiger Prawns are a must – thick and crunchy with a delicious harrisa mayo and coriander cress.

Diners are really spoiled for choice when it comes to the mains. The Red Wine Braised and Roasted Beef Rump, however, has to be the star of the show. Incredible flavour with melt-in-the-mouth beef, it comes served with an unbelievable truffle and parmesan mash and parsley oil.

From the deserts menu, it really has to be the Warm Bread and Butter Pudding with Baileys custard for a sense of flavoursome nostalgia in every spoonful.

The eclectic wine selection is sourced from natural and biodynamic wine experts, Les Caves de Pyrene as well as George Barbier, the fine wine supplier for most Michelin establishments; exclusive organic supplier Wanderlust Wine and a host of local English Vineyards, including Kingscote, Gusbourne and Chapel Down.

The bar also offers an extensive selection of spirits, draught beers and handmade cocktails as well as cocktails on tap, such as Rum Punch and Tommy’s Margarita.

Bank House offers a ground floor dedicated to drinking and socialising, plus a first floor dining destination and bar with sun terrace, which has evolved into a hub for the Chislehurst community and food lovers.

Sustainability is also central to Bank House, with products sourced as locally as possible from artisan partners with strong environmental and sustainability credentials, as well as cutting edge technology, like the KeyKeg tap system, for a high quality product with a smaller carbon footprint.

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