Cocktails
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10 crazy London cocktails that you need to try
It takes a lot to satisfy the jaded palates of London. We’ve seen it all in this fair city. From restaurants that sell only crisps to boozy ball pits for adults; when it comes to “different” the bar just keeps getting raised higher and higher. So it’s no great surprise that many of London’s drinking dens offer more than just a pint of beer and a packet of pork scratchings. I’ve crawled my way around the capital’s bars to seek out the weirdest, the strangest, the craziest cocktails that this town has to offer. The cactus one – Artesian Bar Artesian is renowned for its cocktails and rightly deserves its…
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TwoRuba: A hotel bar with flair
When you think of a chain hotel bar you’d be forgiven for imagining something bland. A space that manages to be polished in a way that’s devoid of all character. You might expect to find a businessman propping up the bar or families lazily sprawled in armchairs, waiting to head out for the day. What you don’t expect to find is a big sofa made out of grass. Or brightly striped deckchairs next to huge floral displays. TwoRuba, located in the Tower Bridge Hilton, differentiates itself from the norm with its bold seasonal installations and matching cocktails. As the seasons change, so does TwoRuba’s decor and so does its cocktail menu. TwoRuba’s everyday…
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Boulogne Bar
A few months ago I wrote about the “London bubble“. How it’s easy to get complacent, shuttling along from home to work to home, rarely visiting new areas. Or maybe that’s just me? Anyway, as per previous post, I have lived in London for a long time but there are still parts of town that I have never been to. One of these is Kentish Town. Which is a bit embarrassing actually, as it’s not like it’s on the furthest fringes of the city, like Edgware, or in a public transport vacuum like most of south-east London. Although, in my defence, I’ve never really had any reason to go there. But then I…
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Bar Termini
Regular followers will know how much I love Soho. I frequently lament the aggressive pace of change and new development in the area. However, no matter how much I adore it’s grimy underbelly, I did not want to get up close and personal with the damp pavement of Brewer Street….. I’m putting the blame squarely at the doorstep of Bar Termini and their fabulous Negronis. I discovered Bar Termini a few months ago and have been a regular visitor ever since. I love its chic, retro vibe – all staff in white coats, shiny coffee machine, and marble surfaces. I love its teeny tiny, time capsule, Continental feel. Perched at…
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London Cocktail Week 2015 – My Highlights
Mini clothes pegs. Dainty egg-cup style glasses. Drinks made with condiments, pork fat and even ants. Yes ladies and gentlemen…London Cocktail Week is here. There are so many things that I loved about London Cocktail Week. The sheer number of bars taking part, not including the pop ups at Poland Street and Spitalfields, making me feel like the proverbial kid in candy store. The opportunity to try something that I may not usually order. How amazingly friendly everyone has been. But most of all, I really loved how enthusiastic the bar staff have been. Each person who served me clearly took so much pride in their bar and the effort that…
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Cocktail Making in Cardiff
Dan was 19 years old, good looking, fresh off the plane from New Zealand, and had the unenviable task of teaching a group of rowdy 30-something women how to make cocktails. We smelled blood… I drink cocktails. A lot of cocktails. But make my own?? You must be having a laugh. Actually, that’s exactly what we did. My first ever cocktail class was full of laughter, as well as a few spills and a few sore heads the next day. A makeshift bar had been set up in the corner of Cardiff’s Slug & Lettuce, and Kiwi Dan bravely stepped up to impart his knowledge on all things cocktail-related. We were shown how…
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The Diner’s Review of January
Crash dieting. Dry January. Drinking kale smoothies for breakfast, lunch and dinner. January is a rubbish enough month as it is, so why make it worse by punishing yourself? I, for one, believe that January should be spent enjoying good food and drink to make up for the cold days and long nights. So, with this in mind, here is my round-up of what I ate & drank last month. Best Restaurant A spontaneous lunch at Dishoom at Kings Cross hit the spot on a freezing day. Stepping through the front door was like stepping into another world; a world of warm, humid days, lazily spinning ceiling fans, exotic drinks…
