City Social @ Tower 42, Bank

Type of Bar: High Rise, Art Deco
Damage: ££ – £££
Ideal for: View, Date, Small Groups, Large Groups, Food

It’s been open only a couple of weeks, but City Social by Jason Atherton has garnered quite a bit of attention. Rightfully so, bar manager and 2013 UK World Class champion Gareth Evans (of The Blind Pig, Berners Tavern, and Pollen Street Social fame) brings his trademark style 24 floors up. If one hasn’t tried his work yet, think of it being what Steam and Rye *tries* to be, but can’t.

Anyway, City Social is an Art Deco gem. Black and gold, and understated without trying its hardest to rub it in your face (cough certain Mayfair bar cough) – and still has a typically Atherton feel to it. A friend called it ‘mature’, but in the best of ways: relaxed and besuited. The atmosphere changes drastically at night when the crowd picks up – but arriving in time for the sunset is glorious for the view.

Right, the cocktails. As aforementioned: Typically Evans. Adventurous, quirky, addicted to puns and garnishes. Although I’m fairly sure is completely different from the menus at his other bars which tend to share majority of the same drinks. I was enthusiastic since his ‘Dill or No Dill’ and ‘Piscotheque’ were rather impressive.

We began with the Kammaraderie: Kamm & Sons ginseng spirit, Garriguette strawberries, Maraschino, lemon juice, and strawberry paper (ie, a chewy strawberry stripe). It’s a strawberry assault with a subtle spice to it. The Robin Hood brings Somerset 5 year apple brandy, quince liqueur, honey mead, lemon juice and a ‘mini-apple bullseye’ (a tiny unripe apple, bright and citrus). Not quite sure what to say about this one, it was definitely still a good drink, but you can’t really say what the exact flavours were – which, with such powerfully flavoured ingredients, you’d think would be more prominent. If I had to describe it, I’d definitely say the quince and honey mead, with its texture thinned by the brandy.

The Robin Hood does fall prey to trying to mix too much of a good thing, but it doesn’t take away from the overall experience as a bright and light drink.

Robin Hood (L); Kammaraderie (R)

We decided, to suit the venue, to order a pair of classics, which the bartenders actually seemed rather excited by. A Perfect Manhattan (Buffalo Trace bourbon) came out perfectly and worthy of applause. The Sazerac (Hine cognac, Bulleit Rye blend) was commendable, though perhaps with a smidge more absinthe than necessary (though that is up to taste).

I will also point out the number of people ordering The Root of All Evil. Probably the quirkiest of the drinks: walnut rum, bramley apply syrup, Poire William, root beer, lime juice, with a garnish of USD.

Sazerac (foreground); and Manhattan

Service at the bar was excellent, bartenders Omar and Wayne were professional and approachable. Table service was incredibly attentive, almost to a fault. Bar snacks were spectacular. Fried baby Cornish squid with chilli and lime salt were generously portioned; but the goat’s cheese churros with truffle honey stole the show as a savoury bite for the sweet tooth.

All in all, City Social is a welcome arrival amongst the lacklustre high-rise bars in London, blowing them out of the water. And whereas I generally would recommend classic cocktails here in this exquisitely designed space, it does not take away from the house cocktails still being pleasant and original. Not to mention the food!

The Hoodooist looks forward to return to City Social for a meal with a few Old Fashioneds.

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

City Social @ Tower 42,

25 Old Broad Street, City of London,
London EC2N 1HQ

http://citysociallondon.com/

The JubJub @ Callooh Callay, Shoreditch

May12

Type of Bar: Tiny, Quirky, Members?
Damage: ££
Ideal for: Date, Small Groups
Callooh Callay has become a Shoreditch institution over the past few years, but recently there has been discussion on what to do with the Upstairs Bar, aka the JubJub. Do we make it members only again? Do we give make it members only after 10 PM? (Free) membership will kick in in the summer, at which point it will become members only after 10PM, whilst open to the public before then.

So we’re gonna tell you what you need to know before any of that comes in the way of your evening’s plan.

The JJ @ CC gets a separate article because of its separate cocktail list by manager Matt Fairhurst; yes, its list is different from the first two rooms on the ground floor. The menu is shorter, but typically Callooh Callay.

The bar-in-a-bar-in-a-bar itself is tiny, though not necessarily intimate; it fits a lot of people in. It has CC’s traditional sense of décor, large teal and hardwood sofas alongside wooden stools against purple walls decorated with massive pieces of art from the Pure Evil gallery: like pin up girls on a beach against a nuclear explosion (?). It’s actually a very relaxed little space.

Drinks wise, there is no trend per se, but we see a degree of experimentation with flavour with CC’s signature quirkiness. For example, the Rum and Coke (aka. Smokey Cokey), is El Dorado 12yr rum with coke reduction and Fernet Branca.

We began with the Fernet Me Not is described as ‘floral’ for some reason. Cucumber, Tanqueray gin, lemon, topped with fizz. We don’t get much of the Fernet Branca, but the cucumber and the notes of cucumber in the gin stand out the strongest, almost ultimately. With the fizz we get a wonderfully refreshing drink that is simple, traditional, but effective.

Holy Guacamole, has mezcal, lime juice with blended avocado, coriander and chilli to make a spring-green cocktail very reminiscent of Casita’s Tequila con Verdita shot. The avocado brings a velvety texture to the drink, the coriander and chilli being rather subtle and just adding a little spring in its step. The mezcal is the star of the show ultimately, with its smokiness. Bright, spry, this cocktail is perfect to perk you up in the evenings.

The Fig Shrubble in Little Cynar which brought Agricole rhum with fig shrub, sweet vermouth and Cynar artichoke liqueur bitter – of whose flavours the most prominent was the Cynar and sweet vermouth, surprisingly! It certainly wasn’t unpleasant, but not what one expected, either.

Service is swift and attentive, in such a tiny space, it really has to be. Sitting at the bar feels a bit uncomfortable and cramped though, so I’d definitely request being at the tables. The low, backless chairs may provide a bit of difficulty if you’re spending a long time there.

The Jub Jub provides a very similar look to the rest of Callooh Callay in terms of décor and cocktails. As for experience, it is, thankfully, less crowded than the first two rooms – which are the two things that often makes me cross the street to NOLA when on Rivington Street. In many ways, this contributes to the argument to bring the JubJub back to members only status. The only way to avoid making it members only, I think, is to make sure that only the smallest groups of people can make bookings. Whatever the decision CC makes, the JubJub is still worth trying out when possible!

Drinks: ***, Arguably ****
Atmosphere: ***
Service: ****

The Jub Jub,
Upstairs @ Callooh Callay

65 Rivington Street, Shoreditch
London EC2A 3AY

http://www.calloohcallaybar.com/

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/

Scarfes Bar, High Holborn

Jan10

Type of Bar: Hotel, Lounge
Damage: £££ – ££££
Ideal for: Date, Meetings

My friend put it best: The Scarfes Bar looks like the Zetter Townhouse‘s conservative older brother. The design is impeccable, the three major dominating aspects of the room: the enormous fireplace, the mirror above it, and the central chandelier work together instead of clashing in their shameless grandiosity. The dress code for the venue is ‘casual’, so expect to see business meetings or couples coming over from the Holborn Dining Room across the hall.

Staff and young and snazzy, and take a while getting around the giant room. The cocktail list is short, but off-menu classics can be ordered. Rather unlike the Zetter Townhouse, though, drinks are long and refreshing.

These aren’t usually my style, so I had to keep an open mind when my Seine River Fizz (Grey Goose vodka, Domaine de Canton ginger, lime juice, basil leaves, Fentimans Victorian lemonade – topped with a cap of Elderflower foam) arrived. I was pleasantly surprised that I had actually enjoyed it, although I have to admit that without the elderflower foam, the drink would have lost any and all character. The initial punch of Elderflower really makes the drink what it is. In fact, it is the major hit on the nose, and the flavour for the first half of the drink. The last half certainly has a slight basil flavour, without becoming too green and intense, which might be a good thing. The ginger, though, is barely detectable.

If there is any unfortunate aspect to anything, is that drinks range between 12.50 and 14.50 pounds. 11 or 12 I would have been happy to pay for my Seine River Fizz – 14.50, not as much. A mate echoed my sentiments on their drinks.

In any case, this beautiful bar’s long drinks and highballs are certainly worth a visit for if that is indeed your favour in drinks, otherwise, I’m afraid I can’t exactly recommend it, not for what they charge. Although I can see myself coming here for a coffee date and to study, with the incredible environment.

I have yet to try the Mirror Bar at the hotel, but have higher hopes for it.

Drinks:**? Perhaps ***?
Atmosphere: *****
Service: ***

Scarfes Bar
Rosewood Hotel,
252 High Holborn,
London WC1V 7EN

www.scarfesbar.com/‎

ME London’s Marconi Lounge and Radio Rooftop, The Strand

Nov2

Type of Bar: Hotel, Marconi: Lounge; Radio: Rooftop
Damage: ££
Ideal for: Date, Small Groups, View

Every press call this hotel has made (in re: the Marconi and Radio) has been about how it was the place to “see and be seen”.

I’d rather not be.

The Marconi Lounge comes with the minimalist New York gloss of silver and monochrome. It isn’t uncomfortable, but its effort for chicness somehow robs the lounge of it. Keeno, I believe the kids call it. The most memorable aspect of this visit was that the service was utterly, unshakably, unforgivably appalling. Slow, rude, miserable – and the place was practically empty. A bartender who obviously wasn’t, conjured up this mess of a cocktail after which we absconded to the rooftop expecting something perhaps a bit better with a view.

Marconi Lounge, ME London

Service on the roof was swifter, but just as cold. The terrace comes equipped with couches and several tables and heating lamps, the works. What really sells (probably all that sells) the Radio Rooftop is the incredible view. The OXO, Somerset House, the Southbank in its glory, all the way East to the Shard. After a game of ‘I can see my house from here’, we finally settled onto the deep beds and had a whisk through the menu.

I do have a natural prejudice against rooftop bars – the aloof attitude of paying far less attention to service, cocktails or clientele simply because they are offering a terrace where visitors can pretend to be self-important for a moment. Perhaps this is exciting the first couple of times, maybe it’s because I grew up in a city made of high-rises, but I’m not so grabbed anymore, and am less desperate to forgive the misgivings. I will give it this, of the various rooftop bars around London, this provides one of the best vantages.

The Sex and the City atmosphere is reflected in the whimsical drinks that came off more as juices than cocktails. If you can imagine four actresses on a terribly unfunny HBO show clinking Cosmos together, you are getting a drift about the cocktail list. I settled for the MY Cherry (their all-caps) – a whiskey and cherry affair. The scent wasn’t masked, so was harsh on the nose, peculiar considering the drink tasted essentially of a cherry/lemon juice. I was really wondering what that 10 pounds was worth. It feels like the cocktails are trying to impress, but aren’t. There is no sense of it being aware that it isn’t spectacular, there is a genuine belief that it is. Not much different from the clientele.

Radio Rooftop, ME London

You know that trope that states that if you look in the modern day, or really far back – nothing looks uncanny. But somewhere in between, things get strange. This stereotypically 90s venue is essentially that. Avoid the Marconi Lounge at all costs, and come up to the Radio Rooftop for the view. Not as an escape from the bustling streets though, because it’s crowded up here, too.

I did always say avoid velvet ropes.

PS: They usually forget to cover the sofas, so if it rains 3 days before, all the sofas will be stinking wet. Who has bets on mould?

Drinks: Marconi: *; Radio: **
Atmosphere: **
Service: **

ME Hotel London,
336-337 The Strand,
London WC2R 1HA

http://melondon.londonhotels.it/

Mizuwari, Soho – CLOSED

Oct12

Type of Bar: Japanese, Whisky, Dive
Damage: £££
Ideal for: Date, Whisky flights

NOTE: Unfortunately, as of Winter 2014, Mizuwari Soho has been shut down. We will miss it dearly.

Mizuwari is a gem. It has certain drawbacks, but it is unique in London as a bar specializing entirely in Japanese whisky – an ignored market here.

Old Compton Street’s Bincho is clouded in smoke and vapour from the open kitchen where diners feast as you move to the end of the restaurant and take the stairs down into the self-described ‘dive bar’. This is kind of where the only problem I find with Mizuwari lies. The room is far too dark to read the menu, the television is highly unnecessary, and the furniture incredibly uncomfortable. Considering how low the seats are, and the sense of wanting to lie back and relax with the strong drinks, the backlessness of the chairs is such a major pain.

Seated, the incredibly knowledgeable bartender will walk you through the major whiskies they provide, from the well-known Suntory: Yamazaki, to the various Nikka, Ichiro and Karuizawa on offer. ‘Mizuwari’ means ‘mixed with water’, the traditional way to serve whisky in Japan – so we began with the Yamazaki 12 single malt Mizuwari, and the Hakushu 12 single malt with soda, each with crystal-clear hand-cut ice blocks of binchotan charcoal filtered water. Being new to the Mizuwari serve, the charcoal filtered water provided us with a novel new way to explore the flavours of whisky as the water rounds out and dissects the layers of taste for inspection. Among the group, we did see that Japanese whisky may not be for everyone, but it is easy enough a taste to acquire if you already have one for Scotch.

We followed with the whisky cocktails. The Hoodooist went for the Risshun – the Hibiki 12 blend whisky, honey Umeshu plum liqueur and ginger. Sharp on the nose, and slightly intimidating; the Risshun is strong, and doesn’t kid around, but has an unmistakable air of sophistication and wit to it. The Umeshu helps soothe the sharpness of the Hibiki 12, and the ginger to bring back its tartness. Conversely, the Shosho (Hakushu 12, soda, rose water and fresh mint), is a fresh, crisp libation for the early evening.

Bar snacks include edamame beans on the house, and yakitori skewers to order.

Other than the flawed furniture choices and the perpetually sticky floor, the impeccable service of Mizuwari always makes it a perfect destination for the whisky-fan. Of course, the absence of cocktails with other spirits means that you don’t want to bring anyone without a palette for whisky, so do make sure before booking. Even though it’s not on the menu, I’m sure you can request plum wines and sake instead.

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

Mizuwari @ Bincho,
16 Old Compton St,
London W1D 4TH

www.bincho.co.uk/whisky-joint‎

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