Claire is...

Here are the cocktail reviews.

I have a few places to review going back over the year so I’m going to make my way backwards over the next few weeks.  Obviously the more recent reviews will be more detailed, mostly because I have a terrible memory but I will do my best.

Hopefully these reviews will help you decide which place to visit next time you’re in London.

1. SATAN’S WHISKERS, BETHNAL GREEN.

I really liked the atmosphere in this place, it wasn’t pretentious or unwelcoming like some small cocktail establishments and even though there were reserved tables we were welcomed to sit where we liked. 

The décor is eccentric, bones and taxidermy, as is the latest fashion it seems. I liked the touch of the vintage drink posters on the wall. The Dubonnet posters taking me back to my studies in Graphic Design.  The ice counter with brightly coloured fruits is a particularly nice touch. 

I had an East 8 Hold Up, which contained Vodka, Aperol, Pineapple and Lime.  It was deliciously refreshing, one of the best cocktails I’d had for a long time and at £7.50 ever so slightly cheaper than London prices.  I did not want it to end.

2. THE ALCHEMIST, ALDGATE

This bar is slightly bigger than we are used to.  It is beautifully decorated with a friendly and warm atmosphere.  There is somewhere to eat upstairs; I didn’t get a chance to look at the food though.  There is an extensive list of cocktails.  A lot of places claim to have a long list and you realize that a lot of them are very similar but this list is impressive.  They have classic favorites for those who are less adventurous and some very experimental ones designed by the bar staff, these ones have the drama.

I had a White Chocolate Raspberry Martini, it was heavenly.  A berry cocktail with raspberry vodka, raspberry liqueur, cranberry juice and a white chocolate foam on top sprinkled with an explosion of berry powder. At first taste, a bit like you’re drinking liquid jam but once the ingredients start to mix a little it is truly delicious and I have to confess to licking the white chocolate foam cream from the inside of the glass.

My friend had a Bubble Bath, which is gin based with Chambord, apple juice, sugar and what they call Alchemist magic.  The magic is truly impressive, they use dry ice to create a magnitude of bubbles that sit on your glass, and they keep multiplying!

The buys behind the bar are enthusiastic about their cocktails and make them with such spectacle.  If you can, try and watch a while till you see them warming a cocktail on a Bunsen burner and you’ll see sparkles coming from them sprinkling something into the flames, followed by a warm cinnamon smell, a wonderful experience!

3. LOUNGE BOHEMIA, SHOREDITCH

You should always book here.  We didn’t, although it seemed quiet, we did get told off by the waitress.  Plus it’s hard to find, we walked past it because it is just an open door with a staircase leading down.  It is a mid-century modern masterpiece in a basement. The first smell that hits you is the popcorn and the first sight is the magnitude of different flavor vodkas above the bar.

It is low ceilinged and cozy, the cocktail menus are stuck inside old books with graphic covers.  The list is quite long and interesting.  I have been to a lot of cocktail bars in my time but there were things on this list that I’d never heard of.  Drinks infused with leather, a cocktail called into the woods with literally every woody ingredient you could think of.  I went for a d&b float, which contained Vanilla Vodka, Ice cream, and dandelion and bergamot. It was lovely but I know how some people find it hard to drink spirits and ice cream together. It came with a metal straw that was also a spoon and a piece of ice cream cone.  It was a lovely relaxing atmosphere with music quiet enough to talk above, free popcorn, beautifully designed plastic jugs and comfortable seats and sofas.