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WELCOME TO THE GREEN'S RESTAURANTS AND OYSTER BARS. THE HOME OF FINE DINING, FRESH SEAFOOD AND EXCEPTIONAL WINES, WHISKIES AND CHAMPAGNE. |
The story of Green's, St.James's
Green’s? The name comes from a City Wine merchant of which Simon Parker Bowles was a director. Long before Green’s Wine Merchant stopped trading, Simon had chosen to open his own bar and restaurant in the West End. The wine merchants allowed Simon to use the Green’s name as long as he bought wines from them. There is, therefore, categorically no link to vegetarian cuisine!!
The bar first opened on the site of 36 Duke Street, St.James’s. There appeared to be a demand in St.James’s more for three course lunches and dinners than drinking and grazing at a bar. Therefore, when the opportunity arose to purchase the shop next door at 35 Duke Street, St.James’s, Simon jumped at the chance to turn the bar into a full service restaurant with private rooms. Other than numerous reviving coats of paint and tender loving care over the years, Green’s has changed little and has cemented itself in the St.James’s community.
Having created and nurtured the Green’s brand over the years since its conception in 1982, Simon enlisted the assistance of two Green’s stalwarts – Lord Vestey and Lord Daresbury in 2008 to aid in the expansion of the Green’s brand. A second Green’s site was located at 14 Cornhill in the City of London and opened in September 2009. Green’s, Cornhill has all the charm of Green’s, St.James’s with dark green leather booths, discreet and comfortable seating, leather bound menus and the popular JAK cartoons. Yet there is a more contemporary feel to the restaurant with the introduction of half moon booth seating and new crockery, cutlery and glassware.
The restaurant overlooks The Runner Bar in the banking hall below with its amazing bar featuring crustacea and adjoining Glenmorangie Room and Laurent-Perrier Champagne Room. Together with the mezzanine private room, all in all the Green’s Restaurant and the Runner Bar are shown off to ultimate effect in the spectacular grade II listed former Lloyds Bank banking hall. The future holds many more exciting challenges for Green’s, if not only the addition of further impressive venues across London.
14 Cornhill A fantastic story all of its own
The history of Green’s has been exciting and the concept has lasted longer than many of the restaurants that have come and gone in London. This history of Green’s is dwarfed in comparison to the wonderful history surrounding our recently acquired site in Cornhill.
14 Cornhill was formerly commonly known as 71 Lombard Street and the site dates back to 1677. Humphrey Stokes, a goldsmith, traded in the area in 1665 and used a sign of a black horse to advertise his shop. In the banking sector, amalgamations of banks into larger entities has always been popular and the history of Cornhill is an example of a small bank in the very early days growing into a world recognised bank. John Bland created a bank In 1728 and adopted the black horse logo from Humphrey Stokes. Bland moved his bank from 53 Lombard Street to 62 Lombard Street in 1749. After various changes in partnership, the bank became known as Barnett, Hoare & Co. by 1826.
In 1771 a bank called Hanbury, Taylor, Lloyd & Bowman was established at 14 Lombard Street and moved to 60 Lombard Street in 1778 and by 1858 it was known as Hanbury & Lloyd. This bank acted as the London agents of Lloyds in Birmingham. Hanbury & Lloyd merged with Barnett, Hoare & Co. in 1864 to become Barnetts, Hoares, Hanbury & Lloyd. This business was based at 60 & 62 Lombard Street. In 1884 this bank was absorbed by Lloyds Banking Company in Birmingham thus linking the name of Lloyds with the black horse. Lloyds absorbed another bank in 1884 called Bosanquet, Salt & Co. This bank had been created after the amalgamation of two Lombard Street banks – Bosanquet, Whatman, Harman & Bosanquet with Stevenson, Salt & Sons. After all these amalgamations, Lloyds Banking Company became Lloyds, Barnetts and Bosanquets Bank.
In 1887 new premises were completed to house the new bank at 71,72 & 73 Lombard Street. New state of the art developments were incorporated in the design of this building including electric lights, a hydraulic lift and a fire hose and hydrants on every floor. By 1889 the bank had changed its name to Lloyds Bank Ltd. and by 1910 the head office had moved from Birmingham to London.
After the First World War it was decided to rebuild the site of the Lloyds Bank and after ten years in planning, the new building was completed in 1930. This new building included innovations such as air conditioning and an internal telephone system. Lloyds bank became the centre for the Corporate Banking Division of the bank right up until its relocation to Kent in 1991. 71 Lombard Street remained the head offices for Lloyds Bank until 2003.
The Black Horse logo originated in London, and as the architecture at 14 Cornhill denotes, there are a number of beehives sculptured around the Grade II listed banking Hall. The beehive was the original logo of the Lloyds Banking Company in Birmingham and was used on their banknotes. It was not until 1884 when the Lloyds Banking Company was amalgamated with Barnett, Hoares, Hanbury that the two logos were brought together.
Much of the Art Deco design is visible to this day in our restaurant.
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