I have been visiting the Olympia exhibition centres for years, either as an exhibitor or a visitor. One thing that always struck me is that in terms of gastronomy, Olympia was a bit of a wasteland. Apart from the usual exhibition food stands, it had one restaurant on site – a Pizza Express, apparently the busiest Pizza Express in the UK. With a huge footfall of visitors passing through, it was always strange that Olympia offered so little in the way of restaurants, until now, when Olympia at long last became a food destination. Four new restaurants have just opened, and there is a fifth restaurant rumoured to be opening towards the end of the year – I know no more at this stage apart from it’s going to be an Italian, taking over the Pizza Express site. Watch this space.
What’s happened here is, frankly, remarkable. This 140-year-old West London landmark – famous for decades as a vast exhibition and events space – is midway through a £1.3 billion transformation that is turning it into something altogether more exciting: a full-blown destination for dining, entertainment and hospitality. Four new restaurants and bars opened on 15th June, with the British Airways ARC live entertainment venue and two hotels – Hyatt Regency and citizenM – arriving hard on their heels. It is, to put it mildly, quite a moment for this corner of West London.
Here’s what’s opened: four very different restaurants and spaces, giving you plenty of choice when in Olympia. For me, the only regret is that they were not here sooner.
Lillie’s – Rooftop Wine Bar and Restaurant
Of the four new openings, Lillie’s is the one I’ve already had the pleasure of visiting – at a pre-launch dinner last week – and I’m very happy to report that it delivers. Named as an ode to the vineyard and plant nursery that once occupied this part of London (who knew?), Lillie’s is a 100-cover rooftop wine bar and restaurant with a large weather-proof terrace, sweeping views across west London, and a very clear sense of identity.
I did a proper tour of the menu, and there is a lot to excite here. The concept is built around English produce and, in particular, English sparkling wine. The drinks list features estates including Rathfinny, Nyetimber and Langham Wine Estate – a serious line-up that signals this is not a venue treating English wine as a novelty. The food menu follows suit: seasonal small plates designed for sharing, with ingredients sourced close to home. Think Exmoor caviar, Carlingford oysters, Devon day boat fish, salt marsh lamb cutlets and a signature lobster roll. For something lighter, British burrata with Isle of Wight heritage tomatoes is hard to argue with.
Lillie’s also does afternoon tea – a properly considered one, with Severn & Wye smoked salmon sandwiches, scones with Cornish clotted cream and Wilkins & Sons jam, and the option to pair it all with English fizz. The interiors are soft-toned and elegant, with a central marble bar and layered seating that works equally well for a long lunch or a golden-hour drink. The retractable roof means it’s a year-round prospect, which, given the British weather, is a wise call.
Wolves of Tokyo – Contemporary Japanese Dining and Rooftop Bar
If Lillie’s is refined and quietly confident, Wolves of Tokyo has arrived with rather more intent. This 8,000-square-foot Japanese restaurant and rooftop cocktail bar is one of the more dramatic new openings in West London in some time, and it’s not shy about it.
The concept is inspired by the after-dark energy of modern Tokyo – think cinematic Japanese noir rather than minimalist calm. On the ground floor, an 80-cover restaurant with an open kitchen features counter seating (always a good sign – there’s nothing quite like watching the action up close) alongside booths for larger groups. Upstairs, a 200-capacity rooftop bar – called Above Wolves, naturally – goes big on cocktails and Izakaya-style bar snacks.
The kitchen is led by Itamae Chef Roshan Raj Pandey, previously of the Hakkasan group, which gives you a reasonable indication of the level of ambition here. The menu is built around Japanese technique and seasonal produce, with standout dishes including black cod with plum miso and pickled vegetables, chicken donburi with a rich broth, poached egg and truffle, and A5 Kagoshima wagyu with bone marrow and garlic confit. The drinks list leans into sake and Japanese-influenced cocktails – the Sake Martini with Ki No Bi Gin and a Shiitake Old Fashioned are already on my list to investigate. A private dining room seats 20, has its own balcony and self-service bar and – in a move I wholeheartedly endorse – a built-in karaoke system. Tokyo, indeed.
Bar Arriba – Rooftop Mexican Bar and Restaurant
The name means ‘up there’ in Spanish, and up there is exactly where Bar Arriba has positioned itself – both literally, on the Olympia rooftop, and aspirationally, as a destination for those who like their evenings a little more spirited. This is a Mexican-inspired rooftop bar and restaurant with DJ sets from Thursday to Saturday, a retractable roof and a drinks list anchored firmly in agave.
The tequila selection runs from blanco to extra añejo and even a rosa – the latter aged in Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon barrels, which is quite the detail. The signature Jalisco Old Fashioned, made with Altos Reposado Tequila, Del Maguey Vida Mezcal, agave and chocolate bitters, sounds like a very fine way to start a Thursday evening.
The food is properly considered for a bar-first venue. Tacos include achiote-marinated octopus, al pastor pork with grilled pineapple, Baja fish with buttermilk-fried haddock, and slow-cooked beef barbacoa. Larger plates take in chipotle beef short rib, baked sea bream and the Pollo Borracho – a beer-brined half chicken with pineapple habanero slaw that sounds like a serious crowd-pleaser. Dulce de leche churros round things off nicely. On Saturdays, Casa Arriba brings a free-flowing brunch format with dishes like huevos rancheros on blue corn tortillas and a birria brisket crumpet that I’d order without hesitation.
Arbour – Food Hall and Bar
Not every occasion calls for a tasting menu or a cocktail list running to four pages. Sometimes you want good food, quickly, without any fuss. That’s where Arbour comes in. Spanning 9,000 square feet and able to host up to 500 guests, this is Olympia’s social dining space – a food hall designed to serve everyone from morning coffee-seekers to post-show crowds looking for something more substantial.
The offer is built around four distinct counters: Fry Baby for crispy fried chicken with house sauces; Whammy Burgers for proper patties, thick milkshakes and dirty fries; The Rambler for build-your-own field-to-fork salads; and Café Modo for good coffee, fresh pastries and toasties. The bar runs a seasonal cocktail list – the Arbour Margarita with an elderflower twist sounds like a solid house signature – alongside world beers, wines and a proper selection of non-alcoholic options.
It’s casual by design and unashamedly so. For a venue handling the footfall that Olympia’s events, theatre and office crowd will generate, Arbour looks well set up to do the job.
The Verdict
Four very different venues, opening in the same week, in the same postcode. That doesn’t happen very often in London, and it’s a mark of the scale of what Olympia is trying to achieve. Whether you’re after English sparkling wine and oysters at Lillie’s, a Japanese tasting menu at Wolves of Tokyo, rooftop margaritas at Bar Arriba or a post-show burger at Arbour, this corner of West London now has something it has frankly always deserved.
I’ll be going back to explore the restaurants properly – and when I do, you’ll be the first to know.
Where to Find Them
All four venues are located at Olympia London, Hammersmith Road, London W14 8UX.
Nearest Station: Kensington (Olympia) – District line, Overground and National Rail
Lillie’s lillieslondon.co.uk
Wolves of Tokyo: wolvesoftokyo.com
Bar Arriba: bararriba.co.uk
Arbour: arbourlondon.co.uk
