With the cold weather drawing in, what better than a punchy cocktail to warm the cockles. On a recent trip to Polpo in Notting Hill I was transported to the dreamy haze of Italy as a sipped on one of the eatery's Venetian-inspired libations. The great thing about all of the Polpo venues around town (six so far), is that they're warm and inviting, with a buzzing atmosphere to boot. 'I didn't even know there was a bar here,' my friend exclaimed as we perused the drinks menu. That's one of my favourite things to do at Polpo - stop by for a drink. You don't necessarily have to be booked int...
Read more →Espresso Martini 4
There are Ivys popping up left, right and centre, it’s hard to keep up. One of the latest ones to land is at Tower Bridge. I love the brand and worry that it’s being watered down but after visiting its new outcrop, I’m pleased to report that it’s still keeping true to its spirit - spot on martinis and well done classic cuisine - it’s just bigger and busier. No longer just confined to the West End theatre crowd but welcoming in the masses. The day we hit the impressively large Tower Bride location, three weeks after its opening, it was busy with a queue outside the door. Youngsters from the ...
Read more →'I want something that will pick me up and f*ck me up,' Kate Moss asked famed cocktail maestro Dick Bradsell in the early eighties. And thus, the espresso martini was born, as the mixologist only had a coffee maker and some vodka to hand. We headed to the Bluebird in Chelsea to get a mixology masterclass from the restaurant's top bartending team. The espresso martini is one of the venue's most popular cocktails. The head bartender, Egzon Kastrati, revealed that the bar uses more coffee than the main restaurant for making the heady libations. In a month, they roughly rustle up 3,000 espres...
Read more →Holborn Grind, the fourth site from Grind & Co. has launched its new cocktail menu. Having opened last September on the corner of High Holborn just next to the new Hoxton, Holborn Hotel, Holborn Grind is following in the footsteps of its Shoreditch and Soho siblings by burning the candle at both ends and opening throughout the day for coffee and staying open late for cocktails and bar bites.
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