Tuesday 29 November 2016

THE BARS TO DRINK AT RIGHT NOW

It's officially the booziest time of the year once more and almost every week and weekend evening is filled with some kind of pre-Christmas catch up drink with old colleagues, school friends, family- you name it! I for one am always on the hunt for somewhere a bit special when it comes to cocktails and wine. Yes, a good old pub can of course more than hit the spot during the winter months, heck I can't wait to visit one asap to get my fill of mulled wine, but a place serving truly fantastic alcoholic beverages worth spending a little extra for, served in a unique environment is something I will always seek out. Below are three of my favourite recent discoveries that may not be the cheapest but are truly spectacular and worth every penny for the overall experience you get. I can only cheers to that!

DREAMY INTERIORS & THE BEST ESPRESSO MARTINIS IN TOWN  @ CLERKENWELL GRIND


Some of you may have already heard or been to the ever expanding 'Grind' coffee empire in London. Starting off with the humble Shoreditch Grind, serving coffee and cocktails by Old Street roundabout, they have quickly expanded into having several locations around East and Central London. But don't be fooled, Grind isn't some basic coffee shop chain, trying to be a hipster Starbucks. Firstly the coffee across the board is fantastic, every cappuccino I have sampled across at least 3 of their outlets amazing and that is not all. Every 'Grind' has a very distinct vibe about it that makes each one rather unique in itself. Shoreditch Grind for example has a slight Brooklyn feel about it with its exposed bricks, metal stools and open plan layout while Holborn Grind feels a lot more office worker and lunch diner friendly with big windows and coffee counter. And then there is of course the newly opened Clerkenwell Grind which is something else all together. 

I have to admit I am sucker for a good interior concept and the minute I stepped inside Clerkenwell Grind I fell in love with just about everything inside...Why? As big film lover I have always been obsessed with the exquisite interiors in Wes Anderson's films, his set designs almost a character in themselves, and thus couldn't help but feel like I had walked straight into one of his features. Much like in his fantastic Grand Budapest Hotel the Clerkenwell Grind's interior is a fine marriage of pink hues and marble tones mixed in with flashes of gold and turquoise. Indeed every corner has been so carefully designed that I was even take some snaps of their bathroom with its pastel pink perfection. Maybe it is silly to get this excited about the interior of a cafe but everything about this is just so right and so well considered, starting with a rather provocative pink neon sign that you can't ignore as you walk in, that it adds as much to the overall experience to me than the food and drink served here.

Whether you sit down for a casual coffee, go for a weekend brunch or grab a bite to eat upstairs or head to the art deco dream of a bar downstairs you won't be left disappointed. I am yet to eat here (though I am already dying to go back for the small plates dinner menu) but as real coffee experts I can tell you that they make a rather banging espresso martini here, if not the best in town. 

Will I go back?! Well considering that I have told just about every person since going how I have found my dream cafe/bar/Wes Anderson dream come true you bet I will. 

COCKTAILS TO WOW WITH A JAPANESE TWIST @ 7 TALES

There is no denying that my love of films somewhat explains why I loved 7 Tales so much. Why? Well Lost In Translation has always been my number one film of all time and this little basement bar in Clerkenwell, situated under Jason Atherton’s high end Japanese Sosharu restaurant does a pretty good job of transporting you to Tokyo. Walls are plastered with Japanese street signs and manga excerpts, the bar itself is accessed through a traditional Japanese slitted curtain and the whole room has a slightly red glow from an oversized neon sign at the back of the room declaring the motto of the place: 'Drink Sake Stay Soba'. To the soundtrack of the newest and best hip hop around I almost completely forgot I was still in London, so captivating was the overall atmosphere here and I haven't even gotten to the real highlight of my visit yet. In fact 7 Tales not only transports you to a little Tokyo basement without having to leave EC1 but also serves some rather mind blowing drinks.

I went for the Champagne Papi on this occasion (who wouldn't with a name like that and a natural affinity for anything Drake related) which at £15 was probably the most expensive cocktail I've ever order BUT OH MY GOD WAS IT WORTH IT. Indeed this wasn't a mere cocktail, this was a spectacle, a true show of creativity that I couldn't help but be left in awe of. How you may wonder? 

Well the Champagne Papi is a fizzing glass of champagne and umeshu (a Japanese plum liqueur) lightly infused with banana and served with a side of ‘vending machine', essentially a token you are given that you are meant to pop into an arcade style venting machine, out from which then pops a Kinder Egg-style pod carrying a Japanese proverb and absinthe-soaked sugar cube presented in a baggy that then is meant to be dissolved in your champagne flute as finishing touch to the drink....I told you this isn't your average cocktail didn't I? 

And yes, this could easily have come across as gimmicky and over the top but here everything just somehow works brilliantly- the concept so perfectly executed and the final cocktail now infused with the sugar cube so beautifully flavoured and ultimately delicious that all I could really say after leaving is "Wow". Don't come here to order the house white, don't come here to get wasted, no 7 Tales will take you on an unexpected and rather brilliant Japanese excursion that is worth spending a little more for, offering up cocktails quite unlike anyone else in London right now. 

PS order the Champagne Papi. You will live to tell the tale.

OLD SCHOOL MIXOLOGY @ 69 COLEBROOKE ROW

69 Colebrooke Row or 'Bar With No Name' as it is also known has a real old school charm about it that in my eyes makes it the most genuine of the 'Speakeasy' style bars that have recently flooded London. Indeed one could easily feel transported back into the prohibition era here and down some dark alleyway in New York's East Villager with this tiny yet impeccably furnished space, all dark wood, leather upholstered antique seats and black and white tiled floors, all complimented by the dim lighting that isn't much more than the candles on the tables. Rather than a Spotify playlist, here a pianist will provide the soundtrack for your evening while the bartenders are not merely bartenders but in their smart white tailored coats become mixologists of the highest calibre, each drink almost like a piece of art they are more than proud to serve you. 

If you want a proper cocktail bar that needs no modern gimmicks then this is the place for you - no tricks, no twists- just perfectly executed classic drinks in a sophisticated and grown up environment with a level of service that makes you feel like a royal or indeed a rich Mafiosi type in 1920s New York with wads of cash and the world at their feet. It's also the perfect place for a date, so small inside that one can't help but cosy up to your company but also with drinks so good that if all else fails including the date you  are still able to enjoy some stunning cocktails in a bar you won't forget in a hurry. 

My favourite cocktail after several visits here has to be the 'Death In Venice', Campari with Grapefruit Bitters topped with Prosecco and an Orange Twist, which served in a simple Flute is the epitome of a refreshing and perfectly mixed drink that you could more than easily drink about 10 of. It's a classic cocktail that is not easy to get right and the same can be said for 69 Colebrooke Row as whole, a real diamond of a cocktail bar that has rightly refused to move with the times, a classic that I hope will remain unchanged for some time to come.

22 comments:

Heni Herbal said...

So for us it's always waiting for more information .
Cara Alami Mengobati Pegal Pegal Paling Ampuh
Cara Alami Mengobati Batu Empedu Tanpa Operasi
Cara Mengobati Perut Perih Secara Alami
Pengobatan Alternatif Tumor Hati Secara Tradisional
Obat Mata Eye Care Softgel Green World

Unknown said...

Scattered hearts, broken glass i don't feel a thing.
Efek Samping Lada Hitam
Bahaya Suplemen Protein

Unknown said...

The worst is over, the monsters in my head are scared of love, fallin people, listen up!
Chitosan
Bahan Alami untuk Ambeien
Manfaat Chitosan

Unknown said...

I got a plan to get us out of here, i been working at the convenience store.
Gerakan Untuk Mengecilkan Pinggang
Gerakan Yoga untuk Sakit Pinggang
Cedera Tulang Belakang

Unknown said...

I was very pleased to visit the coolest websites worldwide.
Cara Menghilangkan Kesemutan

Unknown said...

sayang opo koe krumu carite ati ku
Obat Penghancur Batu Ginjal
Obat QnC Jelly Gamat Herbal
take you bear men,
Harga Obat Hepatitis Untuk Anak
Obat Batuk Tidak Berdahak
Obat Untuk Luka Basah di Kemaluan

Unknown said...

Apakah belum juga engkau mengerti, atau memang tiada cinta lagi !

Cara Menurunkan Demam Pada Anak Usia 2 Tahun
Obat Untuk Anak Demam Batuk Pilek
Obat Tradisional Luka Radang Amandel Pada Anak

Unknown said...

Apakah belum juga engkau mengerti, atau memang tiada cinta lagi !

Cara Menurunkan Demam Pada Anak Usia 2 Tahun
Obat Untuk Anak Demam Batuk Pilek
Obat Tradisional Luka Radang Amandel Pada Anak

Unknown said...

Everything in life teaches you a lesson, you just have to be willing to learn.
Herpes Zoster
Obat Tangan Terjepit Pintu
Manfaat Minyak Cengkeh

Unknown said...


I like your all post. You have done really good work.

SITUS GAME JUDI POKER

TARUHAN JUDI BOLA

BANDAR JUDI TOGEL ONLINE

POKER ONLINE TERPERCAYA

FILM BOKEP TERBARU

KIMI HIME said...

Thanks for the information, very useful
I am very glad to have gotten very useful information
best regards and thanks

berry jus
qnc jelly gamat
obat infeksi jamur
walatra sehat mata
obat kutil kelamin
obat keputihan
obat luka bernanah
obat pengering luka
Obat kutu air

KIMI HIME said...

Thanks for the helpful information. Because, I just found out there is a very extraordinary article like this, thanks

Toko Obat Herbal
Obat Nyeri Sendi
Agen Resmi Qnc jelly gamat di Banjarmasin

Unknown said...

What matters in life is not what happens to you but what you remember and how you remember it.
Penyebab Kesemutan Pada Anak

Griya De Nature Indonesia said...

Thank you for sharing information on your website, blogging greetings
Obat Ambeien Di Apotik K24

raybanoutlet001 said...

zzzzz2018.4.16mbt shoes
detroit lions jerseys
coach outlet
coach handbags
converse trainers
nike outlet store
new york jets jerseys
jordan shoes
ralph lauren outlet
coach outlet

Unknown said...

I was very pleased to visit the coolest websites worldwide.
Tanda Serangan Jantung Saat Tidur

Lutfi Kurniawan said...

Sharing information about herbal treatment

Cara Memperbaiki Kondisi Mata Kabur Atau Buram
Obat Sakit Tenggorokan
Cara Cepat Menyembuhkan Patah Tulang
6 Cara Mencegah Dan Mengatasi Pengeroposan Tulang
Cara Mengatasi Nyeri Tulang Dan Sendi Paling Ampuh
Cara Alami Menghilangkan Rasa Perih Pada Lambung
Cara Mengempiskan Kaki Bengkak Akibat Penyakit Ginjal

Riko JR said...

Hopefully, sustenance will be easy and simplified in all matters :-)
OBAT KLIYENGAN ALAMI
obat kliyengan alami
cara mengatasi penyakit pes
distributor gamat emas kapsul
cara mengobati sakit kepala

Riko JR said...

I can only express a word of thanks. Because with the content on this blog I can add knowledge I, thank has been sharing this information. Do not forget to visit our website to share information and knowledge about health. |
Obat Borok Bernanah |
Cara Mengobati Lymphadenitis
Cara Menghilangkan Sekelan |
Cara Mengobati Radang Telinga

Riko JR said...

Thank you for sharing a good and interesting article ...
I hope the new posts will increase and can be a very good reference.
Hopefully more success thank you very much..
Cara Mengobati Kelenjar Ludah Bengkak
Cara Mengobati Borok di Kepala
Obat Kista Ukuran 8 Cm Dan 7 Cm
Cara Menumbuhkan Jaringan Daging
Obat penyakit dompo

yanmaneee said...

yeezy shoes
golden goose
moncler jacket
michael kors purses
gucci belts
hermes handbags
yeezy boost
longchamp bags
yeezy shoes
jordan 11 retro

QnC Jelly Gamat said...

I can only express a word of thanks. Because with the content on this blog I can add knowledge I, thank has been sharing this information. Do not forget to visit our website to share information and knowledge about health. |
apotik qnc jelly gamat pangandaran |
gudang agen resmi QnC Jelly Gamat |
Cara Mengobati kanker payudara |
OBAT BATU GINJAL ALAMI |
obat payudara bengkak |
obat penyakit dompo herpes