Thirty years after Cool Britannia captured the imagination of a generation, The Ivy Collection is looking back to the 1990s with a limited-edition menu celebrating the food, culture and optimism of the era.
Available from 02 September to 06 October at participating restaurants across The Ivy Collection, the Cool Britannia Menu includes two courses for £19.96, with the price offering a neat nod to the year that epitomised the movement. In Oxford, the menu will be available at Ivy Brasserie Oxford, alongside participating Ivy restaurants elsewhere in the collection.
The promotion draws on The Ivy’s own place in the story of Cool Britannia. During the 1990s, its London restaurant became a favoured meeting place for musicians, actors, artists and other cultural figures associated with Britpop, the Young British Artists and Britain’s renewed cultural confidence.
The new menu brings together nostalgic British favourites and dishes reflecting the more adventurous flavours of the decade. Starters include Glazed Onion Soup with gratinated cheese croutons, Gratinated Halloumi with fire-roasted pepper purée and vine tomatoes, and Kiln-roast Salmon Rillette with dark rye bread, avocado and basil pesto.
Among the main courses is a 90s Coconut Curry with sweet potato, spinach, broccoli and aromatic rice, alongside Salmon Linguine and Chicken Supreme with smoked pancetta, chestnut mushrooms and a rich red wine and port sauce. Guests can also upgrade to a Minute Steak with peppercorn sauce, thick-cut chips and watercress for a £4.95 supplement.
A particular nod to The Ivy’s 1990s history comes with the Grilled Robata Chicken Skewers, served with Bang Bang peanut sauce, sesame, coconut, lime and coriander. The dish takes inspiration from the original Bang Bang Chicken, one of The Ivy’s much-loved dishes from the decade.
Desserts continue the retro British theme, with Sticky Toffee Pudding, Mango Vanilla Sponge and the Platinum Sundae, while a Best of British Mature Cheddar offers a savoury alternative. Sticky Toffee Pudding is available with a £1.95 supplement.
The Ivy Collection has also partnered with Cointreau on two cocktails created for the occasion. Champagne Supernova combines Cointreau, cherry and lemon with Champagne, while Spice Girls mixes Cointreau Spicy, The Botanist gin, rhubarb, hot honey and cranberry.
The Cool Britannia Menu is available Monday to Friday from 11.30am to 6.30pm and Sundays from 11.00am to 6.30pm, from 02 September to 06 October, at participating restaurants across The Ivy Collection.
For Oxford diners, that means a chance to revisit the decade at Ivy Brasserie Oxford, while the wider collection uses the anniversary as an excuse to celebrate an era that left a lasting mark on British food, music, art and popular culture.
