Sailing away from the standard City bar format is Mrs Fogg’s in Broadgate Circle.
The Mr Fogg’s chain of bars is one of my favourite in town, given its exploration theme, and the latest site, Mrs Fogg’s, sticks to the standards.
The place was inspired by Aouda, the explorer Phileas Fogg’s Indian wife, in Jules Verne’s classic adventure novel, Around The World in 80 Days.
Everything has been designed with her nautical travels in mind, with bar-goers invited to board the Rangoon steamer. The full name of the bar is Mrs Fogg’s Maritime Club and Distillery.
I ventured to the bar on a Tuesday night and it was buzzing with loose-tied city slickers – a few Tinder dates too!
The thing that’s great about Mr Fogg’s, and now Mrs Fogg’s, is the mind-boggling attention to detail.
Each venue is decorated in a way that makes you want to explore every nook and cranny and I always come away feeling like I’ve had a little adventure.
With Mrs Fogg’s there are two levels to navigate, with wafting palms and eccentric decor transporting you to some exotic realm.
In the basement there is an ‘engine room’, which is described as a ‘secret space filled with all sorts of cargo, crates and stowaways, perfect for spirited evenings of live entertainment’.
Taking center stage is a custom-designed rickshaw, courtesy of Monkey Shoulder, for cocktail-enthusiasts to pedal and shake their way to cocktail bliss and create their own signature concoctions.
Also tucked away below deck is a gin distillery, modelled on the underground Victorian distilleries of the period. (Keep you eyes peeled for the gin masterclasses that will soon be available!)
On the ground floor, there is a large central bar surrounded by lush foliage, large wooden fans and antique nautical items.
There is also a more private room fashioned after passenger cabins on a ship.
Here there are a number of comfortable booths, which is where one of the friendly servers directed me.
I couldn’t help notice her beautiful outfit, inspired by an Indian sari, with glittering gold cloth wrapped around her body.
After settling into our plush velvet booth my friend and I perused the beautiful leather-bound menu.
The menu is a treat in itself, with an array of wacky libations accompanied by lovely illustrations.
The Old Banyan Tree caught my eye, with a clean and punchy mix of bourbon whiskey, rum orange liqueur, chestnut syrup and chocolate bitters.
Meanwhile, my friend went for a Passepartout, which featured a blend of gin, cucumber, lemon, sugar, egg white and black pepper.
Both drinks hit the spot, both the presentation and flavour fronts.
One thing you must try while at Mrs Fogg’s are the Asian-inspired nibbles.
There’s a nice concise selection.
The roasted cauliflower, broccoli and padron poppers come highly recommend. Although I did bite into one pepper which turned out to be an extremely spicy chilli, so do be careful! Another cocktail was in order to kill the pain!
The green chilli cheese toasties are also deliciously moreish.
Our adventure to Mrs Fogg’s hit all the right notes.
It’s fun, frivolous and I’ll definitely be back for more.
Summing it up in two words, I say: All Aboard!
Mrs Fogg’s is located at 37 Broadgate Circle, London, EC2M 2QS
Opening Times: Monday – Sunday: 11am-12am
To make a booking visit www.mr-foggs.com or call 0207 590 5257
