Brasserie Olivia is opening a 22-seat cocktail bar beneath its Sloane Square restaurant, with vinyl records, experimental cocktails and interiors inspired by 1970s Paris.

French restaurant group La Nouvelle Garde is expanding its London presence with the opening of Venus Bar on October 29, 2026, a new underground cocktail bar beneath Brasserie Olivia in Chelsea.

The 22-seat venue will occupy the basement of the restaurant, which opened earlier this summer as La Nouvelle Garde's first international location. Situated on the corner of Sloane Square, Brasserie Olivia serves traditional French dishes in interiors influenced by the French Riviera and the grand hotels of the Côte d'Azur.

Designed by B3 Designers, the studio behind the brasserie itself, Venus Bar will take its cues from Parisian nightlife in the 1970s. Guests will enter via a wooden staircase leading to a space lined with oak panelling, vintage furniture and objects collected from French antique markets.

The interiors will feature chartreuse-green velvet chairs, silver candlesticks and shelves filled with vinyl records, alongside vintage absinthe fountains and chess sets.

Music will be central to the experience. Guests will be invited to select records from a collection spanning French female singers of the 1940s to 1980s, international rock artists and classical composers. Records will be played on a turntable through bespoke speakers by B&C Acoustic.

Behind the chrome bar, the cocktail programme has been developed under the direction of Jennifer Le Nechet, the French bartender known for her inventive approach to mixology.

The menu will use techniques such as milk clarification, which removes solids from cocktails to create a clear liquid, and fat-washing, which infuses spirits with flavours from ingredients such as butter or oil.

Among the signature drinks will be a cucumber and gin milk punch inspired by the flavours of tzatziki, a tomato-infused Negroni with Provençal influences and a cocktail called Subway to Venus, featuring a spicy Mexican twist.

The bar will also offer around 75 French wines, ranging from accessible everyday bottles to prestigious grand crus.

Food will be available from the upstairs brasserie, including freshly shucked oysters and gougères, the traditional French cheese pastries.

The name Venus Bar references the Venus Fountain in the centre of Sloane Square. A silver sculpture of the goddess will sit above the bar, echoing the emblem used throughout Brasserie Olivia.

Charles Perez, CEO and co-founder of La Nouvelle Garde, says: “Venus Bar is a reflection of the vibrant late night scene of Paris and we are excited to inject this energy to the centre of Chelsea. We want our guests to feel right at home, picking the records we play and tucking into a late-time night cap, discovering our drinks which we hope surprise with Jennifer’s never-ending creativity.”

The opening extends Brasserie Olivia's offering into the evening, introducing a smaller, music-led drinking venue beneath the main restaurant.

Venus Bar will open on October 29, 2026.