Harriet Mansell to open second venue Lilac in Lyme Regis this summer

Robin Wylde chef Harriet Mansell has announced she is opening low-intervention wine bar and small plates concept Lilac in Lyme Regis.

Opening in July, the 40-cover wine bar and tap room will be the chef’s second venture in the Dorset coastal town following Robin Wylde, which opened in October 2020.

Like its sister site, Lilac will spotlight West Country produce and foraged ingredients. It will open within a 400-year-old cellar space on Broad Street, and will offer a selection of wines sourced from small-scale Dorset vineyards, including the Furleigh Estate, Sharpham, Castlewood, Dunleavy and Limeburn Hill, as well as Langham Winery in Dorchester, which is creating the first English sparkling wine available by the keg.

International wines will also be available alongside beers, ciders, meads, soft drinks and coffee, as well as natural canned wines to takeaway.

The seasonal small plates menu will focus on vegetables, zero waste and sustainability, with dishes including tempura sea vegetables with smoked roe, elderflower and mint; mackerel crudo with watercress oil and pine vinegar; as well as lobster cooked on the fire with strawberry, rose and verbena. Bread with house charcuterie and cheeses will also be on the menu. Wherever possible, the venue will use surplus ingredients from Robin Wylde to alleviate food waste.

Mansell said: “Lilac has been a long time in the planning, and with the lifting of lockdown restrictions and a general sense of optimism in the air, now feels like the perfect time to bring something completely new to Lyme.

"The name Lilac not only evokes those hopeful connotations of springtime, but we like to think of it in terms of a lilac haze; a special sort of atmosphere that comes when heading into an evening of frivolity, that feeling when you know something good is about to happen.

“We are so looking forward to growing the Robin Wylde family and to continue sharing in the incredible produce our local winemakers, growers, fishermen and farmers work tirelessly to produce all year round.”

Robin Wylde, Mansell’s 26-cover restaurant located a two-minute walk from Lilac on Silver Street, will reopen on 19 May, serving a single 10- to 12-course tasting menu.