Satan’s Whiskers, Bethnal Green

Type of Bar: Local
Damage: £
Ideal for: Small Group, Date

Alrighty, let’s get stuck right in.

Perhaps we came in a bit early; maybe the sunlight stole a bit from the atmosphere of a place that should be enjoyed in the dark, so I can’t really make vast claims about it. The taxidermy is certainly a fun touch – makes me wonder if the Last Tuesday Society up the street had anything to do with it.
Satan’s Whiskers is definitely a quirky little spot, and would make a fine local if you lived in the area. And definitely a late evening bar.

Grabbing our table, the menu doesn’t state the brand of spirits, so I decided to ask. ‘Bourbon, lemon, maple syrup and bitters’, the St. Lawrence tells me. When our drinks arrived, our not particularly polite server, when asked “Could you please tell us which brands of spirits you’ve used in these drinks” replied:

“Knob Creek.”
“And in this drink?”
“Tanqueray.”
*pause*
“And in this one?”
“Finlandia.”
There was an exasperated sigh and he wandered off without letting us finish “And what about the vermouth?”
Note, there were 5 servers and the only other people there was a group of six.

So we began on a fairly sour note. But we shall return to the sour service at the end of our experience.

Should check out the unicorn skeleton

The St. Lawrence above is still a decent drink. Strongly citrus on the nose, it has a soft bourbon opening, ending with the maple syrup’s aftertaste. It is a smooth, pleasant drink I’d recommend to anyone and would definitely order again.

The signature Satan’s Whiskers is a mix of Tanqueray gin, Grand Marnier, fresh orange and vermouth; was conflicting. Personally, I found it to be orange juice in a coupe, but one of the members of the group took to it fairly well. The Salty Dog of Finlandia vodka, pink grapefruit and pink salt came off as being flat, the salt rim being a bit redundant since it was impossible to put to your lips without cringing. Then the Stone Fence. Knob Creek Bourbon, ginger liqueur, lemon and hard cider met to create a purely citrus drink that had a slight ginger hint in there somewhere.

You’ll notice my normally lengthy description of drinks is very short here. Because that’s it: There isn’t anything to say about them.

Though, the St. Lawrence was still pretty decent.

Left to Right: Satan’s Whiskers, St. Lawrence, and Stone Fence.

We ended staring at the bar. Sitting nearest to the bar, we didn’t disturb the two bartenders busy shaking, another employee was busy working away on a laptop, and no other server was to be seen. Nonetheless, the server who did eventually show up was rather polite in wonderful contrast to the first disappointment – so service can be better on a good day.

I want to like Satan’s Whiskers. After all, service isn’t a 24/7 problem (unless you work at the Experimental Cocktail Club), but it certainly wasn’t anywhere close to optimal, noting that we were the only other people there other than a group of six – when the menu states there are 5 servers, they couldn’t be spread that thin.

Nonetheless, it is a very affordable bar, and it’s worth stopping by for a quick Manhattan, but wouldn’t make it the venue of the night.

Drinks: ** (I suspect there is potential here with different drinks)
Atmosphere: ***
Service: **

Satan’s Whiskers

343 Cambridge Heath Road,
London E2 9RA

https://www.facebook.com/satanswhiskers

City Social @ Tower 42, Bank

May15

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/

NOLA, Shoreditch

May8

Type of Bar: New Orleans, Cigars
Damage: ££
Ideal for: Small Groups, Sazeracs

It’s nice to see whisky, hard wood and jazz bands in some place that isn’t a bloody speakeasy that serves you drinks in blasted tea cups and jars. It’s not fun. Or quirky. Stop.

NOLA goes back to bringing coupes, jazz era style and Louisiana drinks into the modern day (PUBLIC) bar scene – and they do it with a bang. Bringing the bayou to London (as you can tell by the Hoodooist’s nom de plume), is a move he is very pleased with.

When first walking in, we had to make sure not to end up at the other bars in the same tiny building on Rivington Street (Bedroom Bar, French Quarter Bar) all linked by the same staircase. NOLA is a small space, but far from suffocating. They cater entirely to table service, to make sure to either book in advance, or cross your fingers. Leather booths and dark wood tables face a bandstand where jazz musicians come in on a Thursday night. The bar itself is framed by mounted trombones, and fronted by aged bottles and an apothecary of bitters, reductions and various flavourings, in keeping with the voodoo vibe the menu tries to evoke.

The menu is sublime.

It has to be said. The classic cocktail selection is enormous, but overshadowed by the stars of the show: the wonderful house cocktails. We see the New Orleans classics like Hurricanes (of which there are several versions served here; usually as sharers, as they should be) and Sazeracs – as well as drinks designed by New Orleans bartenders, or NOLA themselves.

We began with the bar’s signature, the Sazerac. NOLA is the only bar outside the USA to win the New Orleans Culinary and Cultural Preservation Society’s “Seal of the Sazerac” and boy, do they deserve it. You have a choice to go for the pre-1870 cognac, post-1870 rye, or blend recipes – the blend is your friend. The Hoodooist was very pleased to see the Sazerac served without ice (a mistake many bars in London make) with minimum garnish. Just simple, warm, inviting like a leather Chesterfield armchair.

The fragrance was rounded, its heat sending the scent directly to the head without being harsh on the nose. The flavour was exactly what one expects from a Sazerac. The anise, bitters and the sweetness of the liquors and sugar balanced beautifully with none demanding centre stage (as absinthe usually does).

We were hoping the next drinks measured up – we weren’t disappointed. The house cocktail: Gris Gris, was an excellent follow up. Banks 5 Island rum, stirred with sherry and maraschino, finished with spice and injected with smoke. Thankfully not as sweet as we feared; was tart and handsomely dry thanks to the sherry. The spice and smoke really are what makes this drink, adding an aura of mysteriousness to the drink that draw you in from the scent – a better name for this drink I couldn’t have conjured.

The VEP Rinse whips out the 12yo El Dorado rum for sweet vermouth, bitters and Chartreuse VEP rinsed ice cubes to make a supremely smooth drink that begins with the rum and ends with a hint of the Chartreuse. The Hoodooist and his table did have an argument over the Black Magic Woman – some loved it, some hated the Blackwell’s dark rum, sweet vermouth, Fernet Branca and crème de violet mix. The primary accusation was its medicinal quality, mine was that it was too sweet. It begins on the crème de violet’s deep sweetness; then the Fernet Branca, which might have been more of than necessary. I like that this exemplifies the subjectivity around cocktail reviews – there needs to be in depth discussion because “This is good/bad” just doesn’t cut it.

Finally, the Slightly Sinister was the perfect end to the night. Developed by New Orleans bartender, Kimberly Patton-Bragg, Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon is stirred with quina, cherry and bitters, injected with aromatic smoke over ice. I was pleased to see quina since it is uncommon to find in cocktails in London – a fortified wine on a precarious balance of plum-like sweetness from the fortification, the bitterness of chinchona bark (source of quinine, not a popular flavour these days, sadly – as Kina Lillet noticed) and the herbal flavours of gentian – goes very well with bourbons. The quinine is the first flavour to encounter; then the drink is sweet, without being domineeringly so, which is what makes it a great last drink. Not dry like the Gris Gris, but sharing the inviting scent from the smoke.

Although the drinks reviewed here are primarily short and intense, you will find a large selection of longer drinks on the menu, do not fear that.

And that’s a wrap! NOLA still ranks as one of the Hoodooist’s favourite haunts, regardless of the Mardi Gras hiccup, because it just is that good. It’s good to see a success story on the same street as the famous Callooh Callay and rival it with such vigour – moreso now that we are expecting the wonderful PortSide Parlour to dock there as well. Everyone’s going to have to start upping the ante, I suspect.

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

NOLA,

Upstairs @
66-68 Rivington Street,
London EC2A 3AY

http://www.nola-london.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/

Casita, Shoreditch

Mar1

Type of Bar: Easy-going, Tiny, Latin?
Damage: £
Ideal for: Small groups, Party, Shamelessly Drunk

I kinda don’t want to tell you about Casita.

Just round the corner from The Book Club with its queue of people who just don’t know any better, Casita is a tiny cocktail space with a whole lot of character.

It’s worth playing Sardines in here

The Latin vibe of the place which is stressed in many reviews is barely noticeable in the crowded room, especially if you need to make your way to the bar. Luckily, the density of the crowd ebbs and flows, so as soon as you get some breathing space, you get a chance to get to know the wonderful bartenders. Always cheeky, up for conversation and a casual flirt, they know what they’re doing and will do whatever it takes to make sure you’re stumbling by last call at 11PM. Don’t be surprised by on-the-house shots of the bar signature Tequila con Verdita, which you’ll find yourself doing more of than expected (between-drinks palette cleansers I claim they are).

The shot of El Jimenez tequila with a chaser of coriander, mint, pineapple juice and fresh jalepenos will keep you coming back for more as you go through their list of expertly made classics like a Tommy’s Margarita (Tequila, agave nectar and lime, as usual), or a good old King of Roses: a sweet gingerbread syrup and Four Roses bourbon. If they have their hands on honey syrup, I highly recommend the Gold Rush, honey syrup, whiskey and lemon juice; or its gin cousin, the Bee’s Knees. They exemplify Casita’s nature: Simplicity, yet well done and supremely satisfying.

You could go off menu as well; a Sazerac I ordered came out fabulously – except it may have been served with ice (faux pas), but I can’t quite remember by the time I got to that drink. I believe I did experiment by ordering a rum daiquiri with Cynar artichoke bitter liqueur and loved it – not on their menu, but they will be happy to make this cocktail with a savoury roundedness for you.

And that’s the charm of the place; it’s a place to get disgracefully drunk without the risk of drinking something horrible.

As for food, the bar offers a selection of take away menus to bring food to the bar for you: which reflects Casita’s incredibly laid back nature. Or you could steal their blackberries to eat. As long as you’re not causing drama, they’re happy as long as you are.

The monetary damage is minimal – four drinks and four shots got a tab for 40 pounds, pretty fantastic for the quality.

For the high rating, you must understand that we can’t limit high ratings to cushy table service bars with drinks at 16 pounds a pop as some reviewers think we must. If you want a shameless night out pressed up against strangers with a bad drink, go to a London Cocktail Club branch. If you want a shameless night out pressed up against strangers with a spectacular Nuclear Daiquiri in one hand and blinding Tequila con Verdita in the other, Casita is your destination.

Update: The glorious Casita bartender, Oskar, is retiring end of May 2014! We love him dearly and will miss him terribly, and wish him best of luck in his next, mysterious cocktail venture! Watch this space!

Update: Click HERE to for article on Casita Bar’s 8th Birthday feat. Ocho Tequila! A spectacle to multiple invited startenders and their cocktails!

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

Casita,
5A Ravey St,
London EC2A 4QW

Casita’s Google Plus Page

Opium Cocktail and Dim Sum Parlour, Chinatown

Feb10

Type of Bar: Bar/Restaurant, Chinese, Speakeasy, Lounge
Damage: £££
Ideal for: Food, Small Groups

I do like Opium. But you have to be there at exactly the right time.

There are two floors, both are not always open at the same time, but each feels totally different from the other.

In the evenings, the bar can be absolutely empty, and though I do love a good empty bar – Opium’s upper floor is one of those that really needs every seat filled to make it a great experience. Those bizarre 70s grandma’s living room seats need to be hidden from view. Especially when randomly placed beside black leather alcoves. It’s why I prefer to snatch the bar seats, which are in a kitchen setting with wonderfully engaging bartenders.

I think my issue with the chairs is just personal

The upper floor bar is unnaturally dark, making it reminiscent of the Shochu Lounge at Roka. The best way to enjoy it is to get a reservation for a late Saturday evening, crowded and pigeonholed with a few good friends, with each drink accompanied with the bar’s dim sum menu.

The lower floor, though, has an excellent atmosphere, better lighting. But the bartenders are just as engaging and thoughtful. They’re half the experience here.

The beautiful lower floor bar

Said bartenders are excellent for crafting personal cocktails with good reason. The menu comes with a custom cocktail section, where filling out a little questionnaire on your tastes in flavours and drinks will have them craft a little masterpiece for you. The cocktail list in itself is a treasure for making itself accessible to the less libationary-aware. Other than an ingredient description, each drink is given a three word summary. For example, the Long March (Bombay Sapphire gin, Plymouth Sloe, pomegranate juice, cinnamon and sweet red bean puree) is ‘Long – Complex – Fruity’.

On my first visit, I went straight for the Blind Date: Heaven Hill bourbon, Pedro Ximenez sherry, date puree and szechuan pepper. Definitely an after dinner drink (necessary, following my lunch at the Holborn Dining Room), the intense date flavour might have needed more pepper to balance it, but for the sweet tooth, works perfectly. Perhaps too many ingredients in each cocktail, but I’m willing to let it slide, since they end up working. The Feather of the Phoenix is an excellently contradictory cocktail: Olmeca Altos Blanco meets blood orange puree and ginger beer in a long drink, topped off with smoked chilli infusion. I needed a bit more bite in mine so asked for more chilli, which makes the drink what it is. It’s up to you to judge whether or not a good drink hinges on one ingredient, but I certainly won’t turn it down.
Maybe I’d be a bit more forgiving if each drink came at 10 pounds instead of 11.50 to 13. Please do not ignore the tea, a great break from a long night out – and hey, no one said you couldn’t add some G to your Tea. A dim sum box comes at about 6.50 to 8 pounds, or grab a platter at 16.

All in all, besides the peculiar environment, the Opium Cocktail and Dim Sum Parlour does a good job as a hidden away den, and certainly makes a much less pretentious alternative to the Experimental Cocktail Club next door that I abandoned because of terrible service. Opium has gone for the speakeasy-but-not-speakeasy feel by simply avoiding the conspicuous bouncer or massive signs – just come in through the Jade Door.

Also, for those in the know, query about a certain New Orleans tune, or perhaps an old Soho brothel of the same name that dear Nina Simone crooned about. The waiters will first insist they have no idea what you’re talking about. But at your own risk, Nina did tell us that it brought down the reputation of many of the curious over the years.

Drinks: ***
Atmosphere: Upper floor: ***, Lower floor: ****
Service: ****

Opium Cocktail and Dim Sum Parlour
15-16 Gerrard St,
London W1D 6JA

http://www.opiumchinatown.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/

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/

Highball Hoodoo

London, Cocktails, you know the drill

Tag Archives: Small Groups