Bedford & Strand, The Strand

Sep28

Type of Bar: Bar/Restaurant, Basement
Damage: ££
Ideal for: Date, Small Groups, Large Groups, Food

I’m not sure what it is, but there’s nothing *quite* like the Bedford and Strand in London, and a place the Hoodooist adores. Through a tiny doorway on the corner of (you guessed it) Bedford and Strand, a stairway leads you down to a surprisingly large space for dining and drinking that gets absolutely rammed on weekend nights.

Zinc-bar-inspired, an enormous – beautiful – bar takes all the attention, opposed to the dining area and the few drinking booths on the left, under beams and vines, around random partitions separating the largest table from the rest. I have to admit, I am incredibly biased to the design, in terms of what they were going for, they nailed it on the head. Especially earlier on in the evening, before the place gets crowded. Which is painful since drinks have to be ordered at the bar unless you’re dining.

The cocktail list is fairly simple, not particularly adventurous (not a bad thing, though – if you know your strengths), except for a couple of which stand out.

The star of Cocktail Week 2013 stands out as one of their exceptional drinks, the Foxey Lady #2. Col. Fox Gin, Merlet Fraise, Strawberry Puree, fresh lemon, spicy balsamic vinegar. Soft, smooth, and indeed sweet, the drink balanced wonderful with a bit of balsamic savouriness with a spicy kick following. Very easy to drink, great to relax with.

The Alchemist, I couldn’t really make my mind up on. Pikesville Rye, Kamm & Son’s ginseng, Benedictine and Peychaud’s bitters. The Kamm and Son’s and Benedictine lead to an intensely herbal drink, luckily the slight honeyed note of the Kamm and Son’s help deal with that – but is then followed by the spiciness of the Pikesville, with a gritty finish. The use of a lemon garnish could instead be substituted for orange, because of the dryness of the drink. This one takes time.

Finally, the Ginger Caiprinha didn’t stand out as much as you think it would – but is still a very decent drink. Cachaça, King’s Ginger liqueur, Ginger wine, fresh lime. As much as I love ginger cocktails, it started to feel a bit excessive here, but the Cachaça saved the day. A good drink, but not a great one; decent for 9 pounds.

L-R: Foxey Lady #2; Ginger Caiprinha; The Alchemist

Service is swift, polite. Sure, the absence of table service if you’re not eating can be a trial, but it has its charm in a way – I just know that I will be coming in the early daylit hours to avoid the crowd. Not to mention the over-the-counter food is wonderful. All in all, a bar worth recommending, with a unique style this side of Europe.

Drinks: ***
Atmosphere: ****
Service: ***

Bedford & Strand

1a Bedford Street,
London, WC2E 9HH

http://www.bedford-strand.com/

Basement Sate, Soho

Sep7

Type of Bar: Basement, Dessert Bar
Damage: ££ – ££££
Ideal for: Desserts, Date, Small Groups

The major positive about Basement Sate showing up in Soho? They got rid of The Player.
You know, the lot where servers didn’t know the difference between a Margarita and a Daiquiri.

ANYWAY, yes, the basement space has been repurposed with 60s Chesterfield sexiness. With that enormous bar and benches in the back, I could honestly see a studio apartment here I’d love to move into. There isn’t much to say about the décor, since there isn’t much, but I do like the openness of the space – which leads me to: though I like the design, the open space and low tables make eating the desserts the bar prides itself on a bit inconvenient, but not much so – it just seems counter-productive at first glance.

Service-wise, fantastic. Servers were attentive, our bartender wonderful, no complaints here. Besides one odd comment from a server about “This drink is heavy, you might not like it.”
Which was odd, but we ignored it.

L’Entree Des Artistes (L); El Pampa (R)

Regarding drinks, our first was the El Pampa, a citrusy concoction of Pisco, almond and champagne syrup, and Granny Smith juice. Unfortunately, the dominating flavour was the Granny Smith, with a hint of the pisco in the back. The drink needed some kind of umph at risk of becoming a spirit+mixer. That umph in a way comes as the intense aniseed on the nose from the star anise, but that is about all. It’s not a bad drink, but it can do a bit better – especially at 12 quid.

As for the L’Entrée Des Artistes: coffee infused rum, sherry, salted caramel and milkt. Friend loved it, personally not my style of drink, but as far as dessert cocktails go, this was pretty decent (and I rarely say that outside Volupte’s dessert cocktails). If I had to have my way though, I would go a bit more in the salted caramel direction and lose one of the others. But for fans of the sweet cocktail, this is it.

Opinions on desserts were split: the Vacherin was a winner with lime meringue, basil cream, strawberry sorbet, cranberry and orange coulis. Tart, surprising, pairing well with the El Pampa. On the other hand, the Raviole – cocoa ravioli, raspberry ginger cream (instead presented as filo flutes), cassis chocolate truffle with gin and citrus gel – was a little less successful compared to the Vacherin, appearing rather doughy. I do wish I went for the Mille Feuille Fromage and Truffle instead.

The Vacherin

My ambivalence regarding Basement Sate is making it difficult to make a decision here. The drinks, whereas not terrible, I wouldn’t pay the prices for. 8 to 10 pounds? Sure. 10 to 14? Not so much. This impacted my strictness in judging the most.

Two suggestions I could make are: First, pairing the drinks with desserts instead. Second, a tasting menu of the food and drink would be something I would enjoy bringing friends to try out. I can see myself returning for a tasting menu (take a page out of The Pudding Bar’s book here, guys).

Drinks: ** (based on value for money)
Atmosphere: ****
Service: ****

Basement Sate

8 Broadwick Street

London W1F 8HN

http://www.basementsate.com

The Cooperage, Greenwich

Aug31

Type of Bar: Basement
Damage: £
Ideal for: Small Groups, Date

Greenwich finally gets its own cocktail bar! In the basement under Davy’s Wine Vaults, The Cooperage offers a whole host of twisted classics, with an enthusiasm for infusions. Dim-lit, sprinklings of armchairs and larger group booths makes the venue reminiscent of the Worship Street Whistling Shop in many ways, and unsuspectingly took up a speakeasy meets pub vibe.

Down to business, let’s start with the star of the night: the Pepper and Paprika Margarita. Pepper and paprika infused tequila, Cointreau, lime and a dash of bitters with a spiced rim brings for a spectacularly bright and exciting cocktail that raises the bar for the rest of menu – if in Greenwich, it is certainly worth stopping by the Cooperage purely for this beauty.

The Fig Sidecar, fig infused Martell VSOP, Cointreau and lime, as one can imagine, tastes pretty much exactly like your everyday Sidecar considering a fig’s subtle flavour, which only makes an appearance as an aftertaste – if you’re looking for it. On a similar note, the Cucumber and Elderflower Collins provides a simple long gin/sugar/lemon/soda combo with a cucumber and elderflower kick.

A drink that surprised though, would be the vodka/lime/ginger beer Chilli and Lemongrass Moscow Mule infused with, well, guess. The first few sips were bit disappointing, but further in, the lemongrass comes in full force. A drink that could do with better presentation.

There was a hiccup though, with a friend’s Rittenhouse Rye Sazerac, where I have to thank our eagle eyed bartender for spotting the reaction to, and switching it out for the Cucumber Collins above. This did not come as a massive surprise though, since I’ve found Sazeracs tend to be a risky order in most venues. The Hoodooist avoided the Old Fashioned for a similar reason, call it a louche’s intuition.

Service was very positive, bartenders were attentive and chatty, and happy to help if your drink doesn’t work for you. With great value for money, The Cooperage might have a small case of hit and miss, but can be avoided if you rely on your intuition. In short, simple, affordable, effective, a great spot to chill on a weekday.

Drinks: ***
Atmosphere: ***
Service: ****

The Cooperage @ Davy’s Wine Vaults

161 Greenwich High Road,
London SE10 8JA

http://www.davy.co.uk/cooperage

Communion Bar, Camberwell

Jun25

Type of Bar: Hotel, Basement, Quirky, Theme
Damage: £ – ££
Ideal for: Date, Small Groups, Large Groups, Live Music

Who said church wasn’t fun.

This gem tucked away under Church St Hotel in Camberwell is a welcome addition to London’s bar retinue as of December. In fact, this is one of my longer reviews, going through so much of the menu – primarily because many of London’s cocktails bars seem to have forgotten that Happy Hour does not instantly make your bar a Yates. In fact, it is the perfect time for intimate drinks and snacks at Communion, with a wonderful cocktail list.

For one, can we talk about this design for a second? Coming through the heavy wood and metal-hinged door into the depths of the hotel’s basement, stained glass windows adorn the hardwood panelling, depicting various scenes from the Bible, primarily Genesis and Revelations – among them the Hoodooist’s favourite Biblical scene: The Worship of the Golden Calf, sprawling on the wall across from the bar.

There is a slightly infernal and deliciously sacrilegious feel about Communion – peculiarly macabre stained glass scenes in a dark, basement venue are paired with upbeat Soul and Funk tunes, and on weekends, live bands of the same genres. You’ll notice no bar stools to make the most of the space to dance to the live bands.

Taking our seat, we notice that each table comes with communion wafers and a beautiful little shot of red wine, poured daily. I gave it a moment’s thought – what I love about the atmosphere here is that it has a strong theme, without it becoming gimmicky by overwhelming you with introductions, stories, character bartenders/servers – or having to come up with a film noir story to get in (*ahem*). The mini-Eucharist was all that was necessary, and the most it should do, to keep the theme without over-doing it. Just about right.

Looking at the menu, it is longer than at first glance – and incredibly varied. The theme of the first page is that each drink is dedicated to the different cultures that define the bricolage of South London’s landscape.

Our first drink, the sweet Tannery (Vodka, Araku rum coffee liqueur, Nigerian Guiness foam and chilly chocolate) is an excellent espresso-less Espresso Martini. The coffee flavour of the Araku and the head of Nigerian Guiness dishes it out adequately, and the edible chocolate rim that you can nibble away at throughout the drink is a great perk – a perfect balance of coffee and chocolate. The Dry Cherry Ilegal (Ilegal Mezcal, juice of grilled Sicilian lemons, Cherry Marnier and bitters. Served straight up with Amarena Cherry sugar rim) comes with one of my favourite mezcals, whose light smokiness carries the initial citrus of the drink, which opens up on the cherry and the intense sweetness of the sugar rim. Don’t let that fool you into thinking the drink is overwhelmingly sweet, it certainly isn’t – the Sicilian lemon’s tartness mediates it well. Could use a teensy bit more mezcal.

The Ortanique Grind & Bubble (L); and Dry Cherry Ilegal (R).

The Pretty Little Shanty Town (Dark rum, Velvet Falernum, lime, ginger, orange bitters & molasses) begins strongly with ginger and Falernum’s spiciness, ending on the sweetness of the rum and rounded off with the molasses. The garnish of this drink is more the star, with orange slices dried in situ, and irresistible Spanish honeycomb. The Ortanique Grind & Bubble (dash of Punt E Mes, Vanilla & orange flower infused Stolichnaya, home-made limoncello, fresh Jamaican Ortanique & Prosecco) is a wonderfully fresh and lively drink. The prosecco is, like in all bubbly drinks, the most demanding flavour, but otherwise, the drink opens on the Ortanique and limoncello, leading into the strong Punt e Mes. The Orange flower is somewhat detectable, but I had trouble finding the vanilla.

Less balanced drinks: The Calvary’s (Dicatador Rum, morello cherry, lime, egg white, St John Commandaria wine) sweet wine unfortunately has a tendency to drown out the flavour of the rum, though the morello cherry does eventually take charge – a decent drink, but less so compared to the previous ones. Similarly, the Fresh & Loose’s Scandinavian twist (Beefeater 24 shaken with fresh cucumber, dill, fennel, citrus and egg white, with couple dashes of Peychaud’s bitters) was dominated by cucumber and citrus, with flashes of dill – but still a well crisp drink.

The one drink I was not impressed by was the Outlaw (Jim Beam, home-made cranberry syrup, mint, sugar & chocolate bitters), which was drowned out by the strength of the mint.

The Pretty Little Shanty Town (L); and Fresh & Loose (R).

WHEW. This’ll take up a whole Sunday.

Service through all this was absolutely delightful, attentive, and conversational – we couldn’t have asked for a better hostess. Bartenders were quick and on the ball with their home-made ingredients – there is real talent here.

Really falling for Communion, I almost don’t want to tell you about it. A bit out of the way to get to, but worth the travel; Communion Bar is a rare cocktail bar in the area, and certainly sets the bar high. The Hoodooist looks forward to returning.

Drinks: ****
Atmosphere: *****
Service: ****

Communion Bar

Church ST Hotel,
29-33 Camberwell Church St,
Camberwell,
London SE5 8TR

http://www.communionbar.com

PortSide Parlour, Broadway Market

May5

Disclaimer: This review was written for the closing weekend of PortSide Parlour’s Off Broadway venue in May 2014, PP has dropped anchor at 14 Rivington Street, Shoreditch, new review here!

Type of Bar: Basement, Speakeasy
Damage: ££
Ideal for: Date, Small Groups, Large Groups, Rum

Entering the basement venue through the false toilet, the PP is a dark, candlelit venue with red fabric sofas lining the walls, large wooden tables and leather armchairs. Though somewhat of an open plan seating, PP can be surprisingly intimate, and comfortable in both quiet and crowded hours – successfully channelling the feel of being under-deck.

Voted the ‘Best Speakeasy in London’ according to their website, the PP also boasts an enormous selection of 50 rums, and certainly played a part in making long-neglected rum the spirit of 2014. House cocktails are primarily rum based; though also offer other, primarily dark, liquors.

Three drinks were ordered, let’s get to the *non-rum* based drinks first.

The Word of God is spectacular. Ambler 7yr bourbon carries Cynar and sea salt, garnished with pickles. This came with a bizarre ‘word of warning’ from the server, about it “tasting like straight bourbon” (which it didn’t). Funnily enough, the Word of God is as smooth and soft as you could imagine. The savoury Cynar complements the bourbon perfectly, with the added bite of the sea salt. Every few sips you reward yourself with a bourbon-soaked pickle. Absolutely adored this drink – flavourful, and layered wonderfully.

For the rum based drinks, these were interesting.

The Fishwife Punch brings El Dorado 8yr rum with lemon juice, rose syrup, Bitter Truth Apricot brandy and chocolate bitters. I normally have a bias against chocolate bitters, but these really didn’t play much of a part in the overt flavour. What we got was a long, fresh and fruity cocktail tasting primarily of the El Dorado 8yr’s toffee and apricot, with rose coming in softly in at the end.

Finally, the Grace Jones is probably as out there as its namesake. Appleton Estate 8yr rum, King’s ginger liqueur, fresh lime and mint, Angostura bitters, topped up with Piper Hiedsieck Champagne. You know, it was impossible to put a finger on what was going on here. There seems to be this initial blast of mint, then somehow overwhelmingly fizzy champagne with a great ginger finish. Nonetheless, there was something about it we could put out finger on, it’s a drink we had difficulty dissecting, though overall had reminded us of… Soup? I think it might be the savouriness of the ingredients mixing with the dark sugariness of Appleton 8 yr. Not entirely sure what was going on here, but that doesn’t make it an unpleasant drink. Aromatic and, shall we say, complex? Or muddled, depending on how harsh you want to be. In the end, it’s actually kind of fun.

PP’s done an excellent job with drinks so far.

And although it probably isn’t anything, we were all unsettled by the ‘warning’ offered with the Word of God. This seems to be another in a long line of strange remarks made to female drinkers I’ve witnessed when ordering ‘strong drinks’ (Skylon being the worst when accusing a seasoned drinking friend of not liking a badly made Vesper because “Women don’t drink strong drinks”). Not that that is what our server at PP was insinuating, I hope.

All in all, the PP was a great stop, and highly recommend it, and wish it the best in its new home on Rivington Street – of course, it will be competing with NOLA and Callooh Callay, so let’s see what the three do to up their game!

Drinks: ****
Atmosphere: ****
Service: ***

PortSide Parlour

Rivington Street address TBA upon re-opening.

http://portsideparlour.co.uk/

Megaro Bar, King’s Cross – CLOSED

Apr20

Type of Bar: Basement, Theme
Damage: ££
Ideal for: Date, Privacy

NOTE: Unfortunately, as of Spring 2015, Megaro King’s X has been shut down. We will miss it dearly.

I’m glad I stumbled back into the Megaro Hotel after over a year. The garishly painted (yet not displeasingly so) building across from King’s Cross/St. Pancras is home to the Megaro Bar that does not get the credit it’s due.

When you enter the building, you enter the hotel restaurant, then take the stairs into the basement searching for ‘Cocktails and Answers’ and take your seat in either of the glamour days of Hollywood themed Dark Room or the Picture Room.

The Dark Room (my preference) is a dark, dimly lit space with auditorium seating and red velvet curtains galore. I adore this venue for quiet one-on-ones with friends or dates – especially the corner tables where you can completely draw the curtains around you for perfect privacy. The Picture Room, on the other hand, is a brighter space for hosting exhibitions (what you are forced to look at is luck of the draw) illuminated by cinematic lighting while you imbibe on director’s seats.

Image courtesy of http://hotelmegaro.co.uk/

Among the Film Noir feel, the drinks are wonderfully modern; classics can be ordered off menu. The house cocktails , thankfully, stick to simplicity – knowing that in the world of drinking, less is more. The effortlessness emphasizes the harmony of the selected flavours, with a silent understanding that dandelion essence can be far more effective than ‘black pudding distillate’ (we all know of whom I speak). Each drink is as captivating and defiantly confident as one of the monochrome celluloid stars on the wall.

It is difficult to choose a favourite here – on what was supposed to be catching up with a drink ended with us going through the entire menu without remorse. Reminiscent of the Zetter Townhouse, drinks are short, but intense in flavour. Anyone who knows me is aware that I’m not a fan of sweeter drinks, but even the sweetest on the menu, such as the Chinese Courage (Columbian aged gin, Chinese plum cordial) is on the ball. The Lost Steps (Ocho Blanco, cardamom sweet tea, Chartreuse elixir) is a tequila fan’s dream; the nose is strongly citrus, but the flavour shows very little, if any, hint of cardamom. The tea allows the notes of the tequila to unfold in a manner to savour the tequila’s various layers, smoothly and pleasantly. Three Feet Under is a spectacular work: Martell VSOP Cognac, Australian Stanton & Killen Muscat, bitters and white truffle honey. The muscat’s sweetness dominates the nose. On the palette, cognac does more for texture than flavour. It opens with the muscat, leading into a hint of citrus, and ending with a bang of the white truffle honey.

Unique and definitely worth trying is the Glory Box (Somerset brandy 5yr, Maraschino, lemon sherbet, dandelion & burdock) – seemingly trying too hard at first glance, instead provides a devilishly complex and layered libation that unravels to the palette. Land of Grace (Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva, 10yr White Port, clover honey) could easily be my favourite.

Epicolada (L) – Pina Colada washed with almonds; Three Feet Under (R) – Cognac, Muscat, white truffle honey and bitters

Service is swift, attentive and worth commending. And ending the evening with a Book of Answers for a little game of Magic 8 Ball was a nice touch – somehow adding bit of a Punchdrunk Productions vibe. If there is any warning to be given, it is mind the disorienting mirrors in the WCs – there is no glamourous way to walk into one.

All in all, the Megaro is a gem that pulls out all stops and is flamboyant where it counts. With impeccable service and drinks, it is a nice place to get away from the noisiness of the Gilbert Scott across the street and seclude yourself behind a velvet curtain. Worth a visit, and be prepared to bump into me.

Drinks: ****
Atmosphere:****
Service: ****

Megaro
Belgrove St,
London WC1H 8AB

http://www.megarobar.co.uk/

5cc London

Oct20

Type of Bar: Basement, Speakeasy
Damage: ££
Ideal for: Small groups, early evening

I’m sometimes surprised that the 5cc is often overlooked, especially considering how insanely busy the venues they are hidden in are.

I say hidden in, since the punters of the Well & Bucket, and Exmouth Arms, seem almost completely oblivious to the cocktail den hidden under and above (respectively) the said pubs. True, reservations are necessary considering the size of both venues, where visitors sneak in to the little hideaways.

Image courtesy of 5cc London

Though they share the same furniture, the atmosphere of each venue is entirely different. When entering the Well and Bucket on Bethnal Green Road, you are met with a warped impression of a Victorian pub, with ceiling to floor length mirrors and mirrored portraits of decaying 19^th Century gentry on dark wood panels. Impressive as the aura is, we take the stairs in the corner down to the basement, where leather couches line the walls and the tiny alcoves of the crypt with its exposed brick wall. Fleetwood Mac plays in the background while the Hoodooist and his friends excitedly charge in to possess a dark alcove for themselves.

The Exmouth Market venue is entirely different. The Exmouth Arms is a similarly dark pub decorated with Dan Hillier prints. Whereas the pub has terribly bad service (“What’s Armangac?” – it was on the menu.), you can escape up the staircase that’s rather well hidden near the fire exit. The 5cc upstairs is docked with black blinds and exposed bulbs, creating an aura of a Film Noir detective’s office – very different from the East London crypt.

The cocktail menu is vibrant and rum heavy, mezcal plays its part as well. Beginning with a Don Collins (overproof rum and grapefruit, charged with cider), was far more satisfying than expected, considering the Hoodooist isn’t a fan of tall drinks. The citrus of the grapefruit is not overpowering, and helps sweeten the cider’s acidity. This was followed by a 151 Express: Goslings 151 proof rum, coffee liqueur in espresso. With previous experiences with Goslings, I was, again, surprised – to find a smooth drink sneakier than you could imagine. A great digestif, the rum was subtle and would catch up with you by the end of the sweet, caffeinated cocktail.

I ended by asking the bartender for an off-menu cocktail off the top of his head. What I got was a ‘daiquiri with bourbon’ (I doubt it still counts as a daiquiri). Bourbon, crème de peche, orange for citrus, and sugar. My skepticism was sated with a short drink that perhaps was more of a sour, but an excellent one. The right balance of tart and sweet in its etched crystal glass, and one you could take your time with.

Image courtesy of 5cc London

House cocktails are excellent, in wonderful atmospheres away from the bustle. 5cc also provides ‘vintage cocktails’ with heavily aged liquors – a Martinez, and 7-gins-to-1-vermouth Martini at 45 pounds each. Don’t forget to ask for Forgotten Range: shaken moons ago and perhaps left behind.

5cc is a welcome bar with skill in both highly commercial areas of BGR and Exmouth Market that pay little attention to what they offer in drinks. Pop by early on the in the evening for a quiet drink with friends, or surround yourself with strangers more than happy to be in conversation in the cosy environment.

Drinks: ***
Atmosphere: ***
Service: ****
5cc can be found

@ Well and Bucket, 143 Bethnal Green Road, London, E2 7DG;
& @ Exmouth Arms, 23 Exmouth Market , London, EC1R 4QL;
& @ Harrild and Sons, 26 Farringdon Street, London, EC4A 4AB.

http://www.5cc-london.com/

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