This month, I have been compiling a few of London food and drink top tens: coffee bars, burgers and cocktails. I have now integrated all of my favourite places into a custom Google Map. As the venues span from darkest Bermondsey to the North (well, King's Cross), it's hard to see things in any detail in the embedded version of the map below, so I suggest you click through to the Google Map here.
I hope you find my London guide useful. I plan to add to this map, to include a broader selection of food and drink options, and to create a "things to do in London" map in the near future.
Part 1: Top 10 London coffee bars
Part 2: Top 10 London burgers
Part 3: Top 10 London cocktails
31 January 2014
28 January 2014
Bex's Guide to London: Top Ten Cocktails
Somehow I end up visiting more new cocktail bars in New York than in London, where I tend to revisit old favourites instead. Nonetheless, I've put together a list of my ten favourite cocktail joints in London. With the exception of Hawksmoor, these are all bars rather than restaurants-with-cocktails, although the Big Smoke does host many restaurants that have impressive cocktail lists. As regular readers will know, gin is my poision of choice, so there is something of a gin bias in this list — and I was tempted to add in another, the Peters & Co gin palace, but I've only been there once and only last week. Here is my top ten:
Nightjar (Shoreditch). Situated a stone's throw from the Old Street roundabout, Nightjar offers a gorgeous, decadent haven from the chaos above. A very New Yorky, prohibition-style bar, Nightjar is one of my favourite places to drink in London. The drinks menu is so long and complex, it requires instructions, but whatever you order will be utterly delicious and beautifully presented. I've had a Kama Aina before (gin, elderberry infusion, triple sec, honey, lime and sparkling coconut water), which was served with a mini coconut shell and cinnamon sticks. You can't really go wrong here. 129 City Road. Review. Website. Twitter.
214 (Bermondsey). An underground gin joint only ten minutes' walk from my flat? Of course I like 214! They have a huge variety of gins, including my local favourite (Jensen's Bermondsey Gin) and an impressive cocktail menu. If you can't decide which gin to go for, you can try a gin flight. Inside, it's dark, sexy and unsurprisingly, it's often very busy. 214 Bermondsey Street. Mini-review. Website. Twitter.
Little Bird Gin (Bermondsey). The Maltby Street Market is the king of Saturday brunch destinations and every good brunch spot needs a good hipster cocktail joint. In one of the arches underneath the train tracks, Little Bird serves gin-based cocktails, including the Perfect G & T (with grapefruit), served in old-fashioned glasses, jam jars and tea cups. Their spicy Gin Mary tastes so fresh, it almost feels virtuous. Almost. Cool but low-key, this is what Saturday afternoons are all about. The Ropewalk, Maltby Street. Mini-review. Website. Twitter.
Callooh Callay (Shoreditch). This loosely Lewis Carroll-themed bar is very Shoreditch. Downstairs, it's a little bit Mad Hatter's Tea Party, and the wardrobe hides an entrance to the sort-of-secret upstairs lounge. Cocktails have playful names and quirky ingredients and are served with free nibbles. The menu has changed since I last went, but I like the sound of the #cocktail, with tequila, pink peppercorn syrup, pink grapefruit, ginger ale and way too many hashtags. 65 Rivington Street. Review. Website. Twitter.
69 Colebrooke Row (Islington). Also known as 'the bar with no name' — but an address you should remember. It's intimate (read: tiny) inside, so try to book ahead. The menu is filled with creative cocktail combinations and changes seasonally. One of my favourites on the current menu is the Blenheim Gimlet: black pepper cordial and Beefeater gin. 69 Colebrooke Row. Website. Twitter.
Bourne & Holingsworth (Fitzrovia). A sort of London equivalent of New York's Back Room, Bourne & Hollingsworth is hidden away in a basement at the bottom of Charlotte Street. You could almost be having tea at your gran's: most of the cocktails are served in tea cups and the decor is very '50s, with faded, floral wallpaper. But once you get beyond the chintz, there are some seriously good drinks to be had here. 28 Rathbone Place. Website.
The London Gin Club (Soho). Unsurprisingly, this small bar, just off Oxford Street, is another good choice for gin fans. The gin tasting menus are what this place is all about, but with a huge selection of gins, tonics and garnishes, their G & Ts are pretty damn good too. 22 Great Chapel Street. Website. Twitter.
Purl (Marylebone). Tucked away in the basement of a quiet Marylebone side street, Purl is a secret speakeasy of the New York variety, of which I am so fond. The bar occupies a number of vaulted nooks and crannies and has a cosy, intimate vibe. They like their molecular mixology and some of the drinks are big on theatre. Mr Hyde's No 2, for example, involves rum, homemade cola and chocolate bitters, served in a 'sealed potion bottle' and infused with smoke. If you like your cocktail a little lighter and fruitier, the Hanky Panky, which involves gin and assorted citrus, is a good choice. 50–54 Blandford Street. Review. Website. Twitter.
The Experimental Cocktail Club (Soho). I love the original Experimental Cocktail Club in Paris. It can be a bit of a hassle to get past the doorman of the London branch, but it's well worth the effort. for the expertly mixed, creative drinks. I struggle to choose between the Saint Germain des Près (gin, St Germain liqueur, lime juice, egg white and cucumber) and the Get Buck in Here (gin, lemon juice, absinthe, ginger ale and grapefruit zest). The aggressive door policy also means that although it's always full, there is usually room to stand or perch, if not to sit. 13a Gerrard Street. Review. Website. Twitter.
Hawksmoor (Soho). Technically, Hawksmoor is a restaurant, not a bar, but their hefty menu of tempting cocktails — organised chronologically, from 'refreshing eye openers' to post-prandial — means I couldn't leave them off my list. I like the Marmalade Cocktail (gin, Campari, lemon juice and marmalade) and the Hawksmoor Collins (Beefeater 24, Campari, orange bitters, lemon and soda). And no, this isn't the place to come for a light, fruity tipple. 5a Air Street. Mini-review (and review of the Spitalfields branch). Website. Twitter.
Part 1: Top 10 London coffee bars
Part 2: Top 10 London burgers
Part 4: Mapping my London food and drink favourites
Nightjar (Shoreditch). Situated a stone's throw from the Old Street roundabout, Nightjar offers a gorgeous, decadent haven from the chaos above. A very New Yorky, prohibition-style bar, Nightjar is one of my favourite places to drink in London. The drinks menu is so long and complex, it requires instructions, but whatever you order will be utterly delicious and beautifully presented. I've had a Kama Aina before (gin, elderberry infusion, triple sec, honey, lime and sparkling coconut water), which was served with a mini coconut shell and cinnamon sticks. You can't really go wrong here. 129 City Road. Review. Website. Twitter.
214 (Bermondsey). An underground gin joint only ten minutes' walk from my flat? Of course I like 214! They have a huge variety of gins, including my local favourite (Jensen's Bermondsey Gin) and an impressive cocktail menu. If you can't decide which gin to go for, you can try a gin flight. Inside, it's dark, sexy and unsurprisingly, it's often very busy. 214 Bermondsey Street. Mini-review. Website. Twitter.
Callooh Callay (Shoreditch). This loosely Lewis Carroll-themed bar is very Shoreditch. Downstairs, it's a little bit Mad Hatter's Tea Party, and the wardrobe hides an entrance to the sort-of-secret upstairs lounge. Cocktails have playful names and quirky ingredients and are served with free nibbles. The menu has changed since I last went, but I like the sound of the #cocktail, with tequila, pink peppercorn syrup, pink grapefruit, ginger ale and way too many hashtags. 65 Rivington Street. Review. Website. Twitter.
69 Colebrooke Row (Islington). Also known as 'the bar with no name' — but an address you should remember. It's intimate (read: tiny) inside, so try to book ahead. The menu is filled with creative cocktail combinations and changes seasonally. One of my favourites on the current menu is the Blenheim Gimlet: black pepper cordial and Beefeater gin. 69 Colebrooke Row. Website. Twitter.
Bourne & Holingsworth (Fitzrovia). A sort of London equivalent of New York's Back Room, Bourne & Hollingsworth is hidden away in a basement at the bottom of Charlotte Street. You could almost be having tea at your gran's: most of the cocktails are served in tea cups and the decor is very '50s, with faded, floral wallpaper. But once you get beyond the chintz, there are some seriously good drinks to be had here. 28 Rathbone Place. Website.
The London Gin Club (Soho). Unsurprisingly, this small bar, just off Oxford Street, is another good choice for gin fans. The gin tasting menus are what this place is all about, but with a huge selection of gins, tonics and garnishes, their G & Ts are pretty damn good too. 22 Great Chapel Street. Website. Twitter.
Purl (Marylebone). Tucked away in the basement of a quiet Marylebone side street, Purl is a secret speakeasy of the New York variety, of which I am so fond. The bar occupies a number of vaulted nooks and crannies and has a cosy, intimate vibe. They like their molecular mixology and some of the drinks are big on theatre. Mr Hyde's No 2, for example, involves rum, homemade cola and chocolate bitters, served in a 'sealed potion bottle' and infused with smoke. If you like your cocktail a little lighter and fruitier, the Hanky Panky, which involves gin and assorted citrus, is a good choice. 50–54 Blandford Street. Review. Website. Twitter.
The Experimental Cocktail Club (Soho). I love the original Experimental Cocktail Club in Paris. It can be a bit of a hassle to get past the doorman of the London branch, but it's well worth the effort. for the expertly mixed, creative drinks. I struggle to choose between the Saint Germain des Près (gin, St Germain liqueur, lime juice, egg white and cucumber) and the Get Buck in Here (gin, lemon juice, absinthe, ginger ale and grapefruit zest). The aggressive door policy also means that although it's always full, there is usually room to stand or perch, if not to sit. 13a Gerrard Street. Review. Website. Twitter.
Hawksmoor (Soho). Technically, Hawksmoor is a restaurant, not a bar, but their hefty menu of tempting cocktails — organised chronologically, from 'refreshing eye openers' to post-prandial — means I couldn't leave them off my list. I like the Marmalade Cocktail (gin, Campari, lemon juice and marmalade) and the Hawksmoor Collins (Beefeater 24, Campari, orange bitters, lemon and soda). And no, this isn't the place to come for a light, fruity tipple. 5a Air Street. Mini-review (and review of the Spitalfields branch). Website. Twitter.
Part 1: Top 10 London coffee bars
Part 2: Top 10 London burgers
Part 4: Mapping my London food and drink favourites
27 January 2014
"Explain the Cat"
I've had a bit of a mixed history with the Coen brothers' movies, and 1960s folk music isn't really my thing. However, I do like cats, especially ginger cats, so it was inevitable that I would go and watch Inside Llewyn Davis. And if it were up to me, the cat(s) in this film would get the Oscar for best feline performance in a supporting role. As it turned out, the rest of the movie rather charmed me too: it was the perfect film for a cold, rainy Sunday afternoon.
The film centres around a week in the life of the titular Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac), a struggling folk singer, who is trying his best to alienate all of his friends and family, as well as the population of New York at large. The other half of his act has passed away and Llewyn is left to make it on his own. The trouble is that although he has talent, he isn't very likeable, and his performances, mainly in the Gaslight Cafe in New York's Greenwich Village, seem to lack that special something.
As the film opens, Llewyn gets beaten up in the back alley outside the Gaslight, and then we see him waking up in a friend's Upper West Side apartment. In his hurry to leave for a meeting with his agent — all of his worldy goods, including a guitar, in his arms — he accidentally lets out the friend's ginger cat and, locked out of the apartment, is forced to take the feline with him. He heads downtown for Jean (Carey Mulligan) and Jim (Justin Timberlake)'s place, climbs in through the fire escape, dumps the cat and heads off. Jean is not impressed when he returns later. "Explain the cat," she grumbles. It turns out that Llewyn has a lot more explaining to do, as his history with Jean threatens to affect her relationship with Jim. "Everything you touch turns to shit, like King Midas's idiot brother," Jean spits.
Matters get worse when the cat jumps out the window and heads off to explore the Village, although a day or two later, he finds it again, and returns it to its owners, Mitch (Ethan Phillips) and Lillian (Robin Bartlett) Gorfein, only to discover that it's not the right ginger cat.
The rest of the week continues in much the same way as Llewyn moves from couch to couch, friend (or acquaintance) to friend. He sees glimmers of hope in his career, and journeys all the way to Chicago to meet with a manager (F. Murray Abraham), but nothing really comes of it. He's a good musician, but not a leading man, the manager tells him. His relationships with his friends and even the cat(s) seem to follow the same cyclical pattern as his foundering career. "If it's never new and it never gets old, it's a folk song," he says in one of his sets. And for Llewyn, the song remains the same. He won't learn from his ways and it's unclear whether he will ever succeed as a musician. Nor does the audience really care much.
Despite Llewyn's likability vacuum, I enjoyed the film. I liked the music and there were some great performances, including John Goodman, an irascible jazz musician with whom Llewyn rides to Chicago. Mulligan and Timberlake were both good, but didn't have a lot to do. I admired Isaac's performance, but it was hard to get behind his character, and when the film ended, I was more interested in what happened to the cats.
The film centres around a week in the life of the titular Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac), a struggling folk singer, who is trying his best to alienate all of his friends and family, as well as the population of New York at large. The other half of his act has passed away and Llewyn is left to make it on his own. The trouble is that although he has talent, he isn't very likeable, and his performances, mainly in the Gaslight Cafe in New York's Greenwich Village, seem to lack that special something.
As the film opens, Llewyn gets beaten up in the back alley outside the Gaslight, and then we see him waking up in a friend's Upper West Side apartment. In his hurry to leave for a meeting with his agent — all of his worldy goods, including a guitar, in his arms — he accidentally lets out the friend's ginger cat and, locked out of the apartment, is forced to take the feline with him. He heads downtown for Jean (Carey Mulligan) and Jim (Justin Timberlake)'s place, climbs in through the fire escape, dumps the cat and heads off. Jean is not impressed when he returns later. "Explain the cat," she grumbles. It turns out that Llewyn has a lot more explaining to do, as his history with Jean threatens to affect her relationship with Jim. "Everything you touch turns to shit, like King Midas's idiot brother," Jean spits.
Matters get worse when the cat jumps out the window and heads off to explore the Village, although a day or two later, he finds it again, and returns it to its owners, Mitch (Ethan Phillips) and Lillian (Robin Bartlett) Gorfein, only to discover that it's not the right ginger cat.
The rest of the week continues in much the same way as Llewyn moves from couch to couch, friend (or acquaintance) to friend. He sees glimmers of hope in his career, and journeys all the way to Chicago to meet with a manager (F. Murray Abraham), but nothing really comes of it. He's a good musician, but not a leading man, the manager tells him. His relationships with his friends and even the cat(s) seem to follow the same cyclical pattern as his foundering career. "If it's never new and it never gets old, it's a folk song," he says in one of his sets. And for Llewyn, the song remains the same. He won't learn from his ways and it's unclear whether he will ever succeed as a musician. Nor does the audience really care much.
Despite Llewyn's likability vacuum, I enjoyed the film. I liked the music and there were some great performances, including John Goodman, an irascible jazz musician with whom Llewyn rides to Chicago. Mulligan and Timberlake were both good, but didn't have a lot to do. I admired Isaac's performance, but it was hard to get behind his character, and when the film ended, I was more interested in what happened to the cats.
25 January 2014
Dry Ginuary Part II
I've been wanting to go to the Hawker House Street Feast — an indoor, night-time, street-food market — for a while, but because its Hackney location isn't particularly convenient for me and because a lot of the traders also show up at KERB in King's Cross, I hadn't got round to checking it out. When one of my friends mentioned a pop-up gin palace in Broadway Market, however, Hawker House seemed like the perfect place to go to line the stomach.
Hawker House occupies a warehouse on an unassuming side-street off the Hackney Road. It's free to get in before 7 pm, or £3 afterwards. Inside, a whole host of street-food traders, including Bleecker St Burger, Fundi and Bad Brownie, were offering their wares. We wandered around trying to decide what to order. Bleecker St is always tempting to me, but I ended up going to Breddo's for some delicious tacos. The fish tacos weren't available yet, so I had one beef short rib (on the left in the photo) and one crunchy nut chicken with raspberry chipotle sauce. The beef was good, but the chicken was excellent, so I wish I'd got two.
I thought about having a burger too or a brownie, but in the end I went to the Whisky Bar and ordered a Gold Rush (bourbon, lemon and honey), which was strong but soothing — just what I needed after a long week. Once you've got your food and drink, you can grab a seat at one of the many tables and soak up the atmosphere. Even on a cold, rainy night, it was busy inside and a really fun place to hang out.
Soon, though, we were craving gin, so we crossed the canal and headed for F. Cooke, the Broadway Market pie, mash and eels shop, which is currently hosting a pop-up gin palace called Peters & Co.
Although it isn't really a secret, I loved the speakeasy vibe and the juxtaposition of having a fancy G&T in an East End caff. I was worried that after their feature in the Londonist this week, we wouldn't be able to get in, but we managed to get a table at the back, and we hung out there for the rest of the night working our way, through the gins.
There are a few cocktails on the menu, but the G&Ts are the main attraction, all served with Fever Tree tonic. I was pleased to see that Death's Door, which I recently discovered in my Ginvent Calendar, was on the menu, so that was my first selection. Death's Door is a fresh, citrussy gin, which slipped down very nicely indeed.
Later, I tried the Gin Mare, after some pronunciation issues: I thought it was [mair] as in 'female horse' (or, indeed, the nearby Mare Street), rather than [mah-ray] — the Italian for 'sea' (although it's a Spanish brand). It is distilled with olives but the bar tender told me you couldn't really taste it. It was a really nice gin, though, and quite different from Death's Door.
Peters & Co is a low-key but fun place to hang out, with a cracking selection of gins and some great tunes on the sound system. Also, the pop-ups at F. Cooke are helping to fund the much-needed renovations to the 100-year-old shop, so you will also be supporting important restoration work!
Hawker House. 38–50 Pritchard's Road, London, E2 9AP (Tube: Bethnal Green, or Cambridge Heath rail). Website. Twitter.
Peters & Co. Inside F. Cooke, 9 Broadway Market, London, E8 4PH (Cambridge Heath or London Fields rail). Twitter.
Hawker House occupies a warehouse on an unassuming side-street off the Hackney Road. It's free to get in before 7 pm, or £3 afterwards. Inside, a whole host of street-food traders, including Bleecker St Burger, Fundi and Bad Brownie, were offering their wares. We wandered around trying to decide what to order. Bleecker St is always tempting to me, but I ended up going to Breddo's for some delicious tacos. The fish tacos weren't available yet, so I had one beef short rib (on the left in the photo) and one crunchy nut chicken with raspberry chipotle sauce. The beef was good, but the chicken was excellent, so I wish I'd got two.
I thought about having a burger too or a brownie, but in the end I went to the Whisky Bar and ordered a Gold Rush (bourbon, lemon and honey), which was strong but soothing — just what I needed after a long week. Once you've got your food and drink, you can grab a seat at one of the many tables and soak up the atmosphere. Even on a cold, rainy night, it was busy inside and a really fun place to hang out.
Soon, though, we were craving gin, so we crossed the canal and headed for F. Cooke, the Broadway Market pie, mash and eels shop, which is currently hosting a pop-up gin palace called Peters & Co.
Although it isn't really a secret, I loved the speakeasy vibe and the juxtaposition of having a fancy G&T in an East End caff. I was worried that after their feature in the Londonist this week, we wouldn't be able to get in, but we managed to get a table at the back, and we hung out there for the rest of the night working our way, through the gins.
There are a few cocktails on the menu, but the G&Ts are the main attraction, all served with Fever Tree tonic. I was pleased to see that Death's Door, which I recently discovered in my Ginvent Calendar, was on the menu, so that was my first selection. Death's Door is a fresh, citrussy gin, which slipped down very nicely indeed.
Later, I tried the Gin Mare, after some pronunciation issues: I thought it was [mair] as in 'female horse' (or, indeed, the nearby Mare Street), rather than [mah-ray] — the Italian for 'sea' (although it's a Spanish brand). It is distilled with olives but the bar tender told me you couldn't really taste it. It was a really nice gin, though, and quite different from Death's Door.
Peters & Co is a low-key but fun place to hang out, with a cracking selection of gins and some great tunes on the sound system. Also, the pop-ups at F. Cooke are helping to fund the much-needed renovations to the 100-year-old shop, so you will also be supporting important restoration work!
Hawker House. 38–50 Pritchard's Road, London, E2 9AP (Tube: Bethnal Green, or Cambridge Heath rail). Website. Twitter.
Peters & Co. Inside F. Cooke, 9 Broadway Market, London, E8 4PH (Cambridge Heath or London Fields rail). Twitter.
24 January 2014
Bex's Guide to London: Top Ten Burgers
I've been doing the research for my London city guide posts at night; preparing my list of top ten coffee bars didn't make me crave caffeine, but considering all of my favourite burgers is making me hungry. A few years ago, I might have struggled to put together a list of ten places in London that serve really great burgers, and although New York it ain't, the Big Smoke has plenty to offer hamburgerologists these days. Here are some of my top choices.
Bleecker St Burger (various locations). This awesome little van serves up fantastic cheeseburgers and you can have sweet potato fries as well as regular fries. The service is efficient and the burgers are juicy and only £5.50. Luckily for me, they're often parked at KERB at King's Cross on Friday lunchtimes, but you can also catch them at Hawker House and other events requiring street food around the city. Review. Website. Twitter.
Honest Burgers (King's Cross). It was an exciting day when I glimpsed the Honest Burgers branding on the Pentonville Road near King's Cross and realised that one of my favourite burgers in town was within lunching distance of my office. I've already been to the new branch several times. Even their veggie burger is good enough to tempt me, but honestly, just go for the Honest Burger with smoked bacon and cheddar. It'll set you back £9.50 but delicious rosemary salt chips are included; forks aren't. 251 Pentonville Road. Review (of the Soho branch). Website. Twitter.
Patty & Bun (Marylebone). Patty & Bun won the best new burger category in my London food and drink awards last year, and their Smokey Robinson burger with bacon, cheese, caramelised onions and smokey mayo is epic. Flavoursome, juicy and well worth the queue — which can be just as epic. The Smokey Robinson is £8.50, not including fries. P&B also get bonus points for their amazing peanut butter choc ices. 54 James Street. Review. Website. Twitter.
Dirty Burger (Vauxhall). I was so pleased to see a great burger brand make it onto the right (south) side of the river, although the arches under the London Bridge train tracks would have been preferable for this south-east Londoner. There are only a few seats in Dirty Burger's Vauxhall outpost, so grab one if you can and enjoy your juicy, drippy cheeseburger, which costs £5.50. The crinkle-cut fries are also excellent. Dirty, but very nice. Arch 54, 6 South Lambeth Road. Review. Website. Twitter.
Meat Liquor (Marylebone). Meat Liquor was one of the early adopters in the London burger Renaissance, and a long queue often tails out of the back of its Marylebone home, nestled between a car park and a strip club. It's dark and loud inside, and the burgers are top notch. I like the bacon cheeseburger best (£8) but when I've been exceptionally hungry and haven't ordered any sides, I've managed most of a Dead Hippie (£8.50): two patties and Dead Hippie sauce. Their cocktails are also great. Review. Website. Twitter.
Shake Shack (Covent Garden). The only place to appear on both my London and New York burger favourites, Shake Shack just knows its stuff when it comes to burgers. Happily, none of the successful formula was lost on the journey across the Atlantic. There is often a queue, but it moves pretty swiftly and there are plenty of places to sit in Covent Garden if the weather is clement. I usually order the Shack Burger (£5), a cheeseburger with ShackSauce, but sometimes upgrade to the Smoke Shack (£6.50), which also has smoked bacon and cherry pepper. Unsurprisingly, the shakes are top notch here too. 24 Market Building, The Piazza. Review. Website. Twitter.
Disco Bistro (TBC). Disco Bistro had a residency at the roller rink that was in King's Cross over the summer, where I tried the Roller Disco Burger, with cheese, bun sauce, bacon jam and pineapple. A quirky combination, but a very delicious one. At £10 (including fries), it was a little on the pricey side for what was essentially glorified street food, but it was so juicy and flavoursome, if more than a little messy. They are currently in the process of finding a permanent home, so stay tuned! Review. Website. Twitter.
Burger & Lobster (Soho). Easily the most expensive burger on the list, at £20 for a burger and fries, I had to include Burger & Lobster in this list because it was a great burger. Not as good value as the £20 lobster and fries, perhaps, although you do get bacon and cheese on your burger (if you want) and a hefty salad. The burger was huge, juicy and meaty, and the bacon was perfectly crispy. The main problem is the crazy queue length, so try going early or the the Farringdon branch, which is more boookable. 36 Dean Street. Review. Website. Twitter.
Grillshack (Soho). I knew I would like Grillshack as soon as I spied their signage on Beak Street before they opened last autumn, and I wasn't wrong. They have all of these technology quirks (ordering from your iPhone, and so on), but the burgers are really good and very reasonably priced, at only £7.95 for a pulled pork burger — and, because this isn't always true, yes, that does mean a burger with pulled pork on top. Good sides too. There are plans for more branches too. 61–63 Beak Street. Review. Website. Twitter.
Tommi's Burger Joint (Marylebone). Tommi's has moved down the block since I reviewed the Icelandic burger joint soon after they opened in 2012, but not much has changed. Décor-wise, it's sort of hipster greasy spoon meets Ikea. I usually order the cheeseburger (£6.50), which is oozey and delicious, but you can go posh and have a steak burger for £8.90. A good choice if you're in Marylebone and can't face the 90-minute wait at Meat Liquor. 30 Thayer Street. Review. Website. Twitter.
Part 1: Top 10 London coffee bars
Part 3: Top 10 London cocktails
Part 4: Mapping my London food and drink favourites
Bleecker St Burger (various locations). This awesome little van serves up fantastic cheeseburgers and you can have sweet potato fries as well as regular fries. The service is efficient and the burgers are juicy and only £5.50. Luckily for me, they're often parked at KERB at King's Cross on Friday lunchtimes, but you can also catch them at Hawker House and other events requiring street food around the city. Review. Website. Twitter.
Honest Burgers (King's Cross). It was an exciting day when I glimpsed the Honest Burgers branding on the Pentonville Road near King's Cross and realised that one of my favourite burgers in town was within lunching distance of my office. I've already been to the new branch several times. Even their veggie burger is good enough to tempt me, but honestly, just go for the Honest Burger with smoked bacon and cheddar. It'll set you back £9.50 but delicious rosemary salt chips are included; forks aren't. 251 Pentonville Road. Review (of the Soho branch). Website. Twitter.
Patty & Bun (Marylebone). Patty & Bun won the best new burger category in my London food and drink awards last year, and their Smokey Robinson burger with bacon, cheese, caramelised onions and smokey mayo is epic. Flavoursome, juicy and well worth the queue — which can be just as epic. The Smokey Robinson is £8.50, not including fries. P&B also get bonus points for their amazing peanut butter choc ices. 54 James Street. Review. Website. Twitter.
Dirty Burger (Vauxhall). I was so pleased to see a great burger brand make it onto the right (south) side of the river, although the arches under the London Bridge train tracks would have been preferable for this south-east Londoner. There are only a few seats in Dirty Burger's Vauxhall outpost, so grab one if you can and enjoy your juicy, drippy cheeseburger, which costs £5.50. The crinkle-cut fries are also excellent. Dirty, but very nice. Arch 54, 6 South Lambeth Road. Review. Website. Twitter.
Meat Liquor (Marylebone). Meat Liquor was one of the early adopters in the London burger Renaissance, and a long queue often tails out of the back of its Marylebone home, nestled between a car park and a strip club. It's dark and loud inside, and the burgers are top notch. I like the bacon cheeseburger best (£8) but when I've been exceptionally hungry and haven't ordered any sides, I've managed most of a Dead Hippie (£8.50): two patties and Dead Hippie sauce. Their cocktails are also great. Review. Website. Twitter.
Shake Shack (Covent Garden). The only place to appear on both my London and New York burger favourites, Shake Shack just knows its stuff when it comes to burgers. Happily, none of the successful formula was lost on the journey across the Atlantic. There is often a queue, but it moves pretty swiftly and there are plenty of places to sit in Covent Garden if the weather is clement. I usually order the Shack Burger (£5), a cheeseburger with ShackSauce, but sometimes upgrade to the Smoke Shack (£6.50), which also has smoked bacon and cherry pepper. Unsurprisingly, the shakes are top notch here too. 24 Market Building, The Piazza. Review. Website. Twitter.
Disco Bistro (TBC). Disco Bistro had a residency at the roller rink that was in King's Cross over the summer, where I tried the Roller Disco Burger, with cheese, bun sauce, bacon jam and pineapple. A quirky combination, but a very delicious one. At £10 (including fries), it was a little on the pricey side for what was essentially glorified street food, but it was so juicy and flavoursome, if more than a little messy. They are currently in the process of finding a permanent home, so stay tuned! Review. Website. Twitter.
Grillshack (Soho). I knew I would like Grillshack as soon as I spied their signage on Beak Street before they opened last autumn, and I wasn't wrong. They have all of these technology quirks (ordering from your iPhone, and so on), but the burgers are really good and very reasonably priced, at only £7.95 for a pulled pork burger — and, because this isn't always true, yes, that does mean a burger with pulled pork on top. Good sides too. There are plans for more branches too. 61–63 Beak Street. Review. Website. Twitter.
Tommi's Burger Joint (Marylebone). Tommi's has moved down the block since I reviewed the Icelandic burger joint soon after they opened in 2012, but not much has changed. Décor-wise, it's sort of hipster greasy spoon meets Ikea. I usually order the cheeseburger (£6.50), which is oozey and delicious, but you can go posh and have a steak burger for £8.90. A good choice if you're in Marylebone and can't face the 90-minute wait at Meat Liquor. 30 Thayer Street. Review. Website. Twitter.
Part 1: Top 10 London coffee bars
Part 3: Top 10 London cocktails
Part 4: Mapping my London food and drink favourites
22 January 2014
Bex's Guide to London: Top Ten Coffee Bars
While I was creating my New York city guide series last year, I realised that it had been over a year since I last updated my map of my favourite places to get coffee in London. I have made a number of great coffee discoveries since then, and today I'm highlighting my current top ten independent coffee bars. I will follow this with posts on my top ten London burgers and my top ten London cocktails, and when I've finished, I'll add everything to a Google Map.
So, here is my updated coffee shortlist; I haven't ranked them, but they are roughly in order, and as usual, if there are multiple branches, I've listed my favourite.
Association Coffee (City). This lovely little espresso bar, near Aldgate, was my best new coffee discovery of 2013 and it's awesome. Both the macchiato (in the grey cup in my blog banner) and the Aeropress brews are great, the staff are friendly and it's a very cool place to hang out. I just wish they opened at the weekend or had a branch in a more convenient location! 10–12 Creechurch Lane. Review. Website. Twitter.
Prufrock (Farringdon). Before I discovered Pact, Prufrock used to be my go-to place for coffee beans. Now, I tend to stop by for a fancy-pants drip coffee on the way to work, or a treat-worthy double macchiato at lunchtime. The coffee is top notch, they're named for a T. S. Eliot poem, and they put cute bunnies on their (4 oz) take-out cups and their merch. Oh, and they do classes and events too. What's not to like? 23–25 Leather Lane. Review. Website. Twitter.
The Espresso Room (Bloomsbury). An old favourite of mine. Tiny, busy and often quite hectic, but the staff are super-friendly and they serve a cracking macchiato. If you can find room to perch or if it's warm enough to sit in one of the nearby parks, try the tasty soup and sarnies too. 31–35 Great Ormond Street. Review. Website. Twitter.
Workshop Coffee Co (Marylebone). Tucked away behind Selfridges, Workshop Coffee Co (formerly known as Sensory Lab) was, I think, the first place I tried Aeropress-brewed coffee, and I haven't looked back since. They take their coffee geekery very seriously here and although it's pretty small, it's worth staking out one of the seats so you can sit and soak up the buzz. 75 Wigmore Street. Review. Website. Twitter.
Monmouth Coffee (Bermondsey). I've liked Monmouth Coffee for a long time, but it's only since I moved to Bermondsey that I've really come to love it. Their Spa Terminus outpost is only open on Saturday mornings, and my friends and I end up there most weeks, St John doughnuts in hand, to grab a coffee after our weekly running club. I love sampling the different varieties chosen for the filter coffee of the week (dripped to order, while you wait). I also buy my coffee beans here most of the time. This branch is quieter than the Covent Garden and Borough cafés, and has a cooler vibe. Plus, the staff really know their stuff, and it's great a place for dog spotting. Arch 3 Spa North (bet. Dockley Road & Spa Road). Review (of the Borough Market branch). Website.
Kaffeine (Fitzrovia). Another old favourite, which I revisited recently. They don't serve Aeropress, but they do usually have great single-origin espressos to try, and the coffee is always expertly brewed. Kaffeine is good for nibbles and Antipodean brunch too. 66 Great Titchfield Street. Mini-review. Website. Twitter.
Caravan (King's Cross). Just across the road from my office, the second branch of Caravan is my go-to place for a lunchtime treat at work: delicious pizza accompanied by a flask of whatever Chemex they are serving that day. The coffee is always good, although if I've already had too much, their salted caramel hot chocolate is also divine. 1 Granary Square. Review. Website. Twitter.
Allpress (Shoreditch). Yes, you sometimes feel as though you might be too uncool for Allpress, which is located in hipster central, but the café, which roasts its own coffee on site, is actually pretty chilled out. Their smiley-faced macchiato even graces the header of this blog. 58 Redchurch Street. Mini-review. Website. Twitter.
Notes (Covent Garden). I have a soft-spot for all-day venues, and the Notes mini-empire will take you from your morning macchiato to your sundown Sauvignon, with a spot of light lunch and/or cake on the way. My favourite branch is just a couple of minutes' walk from the Covent Garden Piazza. It's often busy, but a great place for a bit of respite — and great coffee — after a hard afternoon of shopping. 36 Wellington Street. Review. Website. Twitter.
Tonic Coffee Bar (Soho). Tiny and green-tiled, Tonic is tucked away near the Piccadilly Circus branch of Whole Foods. There's not really any room to drink-in, but it's worth remembering in case you are in need of a good-quality macchiato or filter coffee in the tourist hell of that part of Soho. The coffee is strong and smooth, and the coffee bar is oh-so-stylish. 15 Sherwood Street. Review. Website. Twitter.
Part 2: Top 10 London burgers
Part 3: Top 10 London cocktails
Part 4: Mapping my London food and drink favourites
So, here is my updated coffee shortlist; I haven't ranked them, but they are roughly in order, and as usual, if there are multiple branches, I've listed my favourite.
Association Coffee (City). This lovely little espresso bar, near Aldgate, was my best new coffee discovery of 2013 and it's awesome. Both the macchiato (in the grey cup in my blog banner) and the Aeropress brews are great, the staff are friendly and it's a very cool place to hang out. I just wish they opened at the weekend or had a branch in a more convenient location! 10–12 Creechurch Lane. Review. Website. Twitter.
Prufrock (Farringdon). Before I discovered Pact, Prufrock used to be my go-to place for coffee beans. Now, I tend to stop by for a fancy-pants drip coffee on the way to work, or a treat-worthy double macchiato at lunchtime. The coffee is top notch, they're named for a T. S. Eliot poem, and they put cute bunnies on their (4 oz) take-out cups and their merch. Oh, and they do classes and events too. What's not to like? 23–25 Leather Lane. Review. Website. Twitter.
The Espresso Room (Bloomsbury). An old favourite of mine. Tiny, busy and often quite hectic, but the staff are super-friendly and they serve a cracking macchiato. If you can find room to perch or if it's warm enough to sit in one of the nearby parks, try the tasty soup and sarnies too. 31–35 Great Ormond Street. Review. Website. Twitter.
Workshop Coffee Co (Marylebone). Tucked away behind Selfridges, Workshop Coffee Co (formerly known as Sensory Lab) was, I think, the first place I tried Aeropress-brewed coffee, and I haven't looked back since. They take their coffee geekery very seriously here and although it's pretty small, it's worth staking out one of the seats so you can sit and soak up the buzz. 75 Wigmore Street. Review. Website. Twitter.
Monmouth Coffee (Bermondsey). I've liked Monmouth Coffee for a long time, but it's only since I moved to Bermondsey that I've really come to love it. Their Spa Terminus outpost is only open on Saturday mornings, and my friends and I end up there most weeks, St John doughnuts in hand, to grab a coffee after our weekly running club. I love sampling the different varieties chosen for the filter coffee of the week (dripped to order, while you wait). I also buy my coffee beans here most of the time. This branch is quieter than the Covent Garden and Borough cafés, and has a cooler vibe. Plus, the staff really know their stuff, and it's great a place for dog spotting. Arch 3 Spa North (bet. Dockley Road & Spa Road). Review (of the Borough Market branch). Website.
Kaffeine (Fitzrovia). Another old favourite, which I revisited recently. They don't serve Aeropress, but they do usually have great single-origin espressos to try, and the coffee is always expertly brewed. Kaffeine is good for nibbles and Antipodean brunch too. 66 Great Titchfield Street. Mini-review. Website. Twitter.
Caravan (King's Cross). Just across the road from my office, the second branch of Caravan is my go-to place for a lunchtime treat at work: delicious pizza accompanied by a flask of whatever Chemex they are serving that day. The coffee is always good, although if I've already had too much, their salted caramel hot chocolate is also divine. 1 Granary Square. Review. Website. Twitter.
Allpress (Shoreditch). Yes, you sometimes feel as though you might be too uncool for Allpress, which is located in hipster central, but the café, which roasts its own coffee on site, is actually pretty chilled out. Their smiley-faced macchiato even graces the header of this blog. 58 Redchurch Street. Mini-review. Website. Twitter.
Part 2: Top 10 London burgers
Part 3: Top 10 London cocktails
Part 4: Mapping my London food and drink favourites
16 January 2014
Wall Street: Bigger, Longer and Uncut
I was somewhat sceptical when the Golden Globe nominations were announced and Martin Scorsese's latest epic, The Wolf of Wall Street, was on the shortlist for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy. The Golden Globes' comedy–drama divide often seems outdated and I thought the film, which tells of the rise and fall of former stockbroker, fraudster and bon viveur Jordan Belfort, was going to take itself way too seriously, especially given the heft of its three-hour running time. Actually, though, The Wolf of Wall Street easily surpassed the five-laugh test and there were very few people at the BFI screening I attended last night who weren't enjoying themselves.
From the beginning, Belfort, played excellently by Leonardo DiCaprio, starts narrating directly to the camera. He tells us how he got started as a trader, learning all of the bad habits from his first boss (played by a hilariously OTT Matthew McConaughey), and then, loses his job after the crash of '87. He starts to explain financial concepts to us before, somewhat patronisingly, telling us they don't matter. After learning how to suck gullible, poor people into buying bad penny stocks (making huge commission) at a Long Island "investment centre", he goes his own way, starting his own firm with his neighbour Donnie (Jonah Hill) and some local salesmen buddies. They operate with the principles of maximum bullshit, minimum actual knowledge of the market, but seek to reel in richer clients.
Before long, Belfort has a hatchet-job Forbes article to his name and a nickname to match: the Wolf of Wall Street. This does nothing to stop the meteoric rise of Belfort and his firm, and he and his friends have the lifestyle to match. "Money doesn't just buy you a better life," he tells us. "It also makes you a better person." And, as we watch him work his way through two wives, countless more women and enough Quaaludes to fill his giant yacht, named for his second wife Naomi (Margot Robbie), he genuinely seems to believe it. The notoriety and supposed success come at a price, though, and FBI agent Patrick Denham (Kyle Chandler) is desperate bring down Belfort, his friends and everything they represent.
The Wolf of Wall Street is big, loud, flashy and filled with the sorts of people you hope never to meet. It's like Wall Street on steroids. And yes, there is a lot of money, a lot of hedonism and a lot of decadence, but I wouldn't say that the lifestyle portrayed ever seems very glamorous. Some scenes seem visually similar to their equivalents in Baz Luhrmann's Great Gatsby, both starring Leo and involving flashy cars, wild pool parties and grand estates on Long Island. Maybe it's just because the '90s can't compete with the '20s in the glamour stakes, but the former just felt trashy and a little sad. The Wolf of Wall Street glamorises the stock trader heyday of the '90s as much as Goodfellas glamorises the mob...
DiCaprio is great as our anti-hero. He plays Belfort with just the right balance between charisma, ego and repulsiveness. I don't think he should get the Best Actor Oscar this year, but as is often the case, the Academy may just decide it's his time. There were some good performances from the other cast members too, including Rob Reiner as Belfort's long-suffering, accountant father and Joanna Lumley as Naomi's posh British aunt, whom Belfort brings into his schemes.
The film itself is much too long; at about two hours in, I wasn't bored but I became acutely aware of how slowly the plot was moving. The humour was also problematic at times and the laughter was often quite uncomfortable. At the end, for example, *SPOILER ALERT* Belfort is finally sentenced to three years in prison and you think he might learn a little compunction, but no. "I was scared, but then I remembered I was rich," he says, "so of course I was going to have an OK time in jail." Equally, in the closing scenes we are treated to one of the motivational lectures he goes on to give in his next career. "I want you to deal with all your problems by becoming rich," he tells his audience. Hmm...
The Wolf of Wall Street is hilarious, raucous and unapologetic. If you don't like the trailer, you won't enjoy it, but if you want something fun and frothy and have three hours to kill, give it a shot.
From the beginning, Belfort, played excellently by Leonardo DiCaprio, starts narrating directly to the camera. He tells us how he got started as a trader, learning all of the bad habits from his first boss (played by a hilariously OTT Matthew McConaughey), and then, loses his job after the crash of '87. He starts to explain financial concepts to us before, somewhat patronisingly, telling us they don't matter. After learning how to suck gullible, poor people into buying bad penny stocks (making huge commission) at a Long Island "investment centre", he goes his own way, starting his own firm with his neighbour Donnie (Jonah Hill) and some local salesmen buddies. They operate with the principles of maximum bullshit, minimum actual knowledge of the market, but seek to reel in richer clients.
Before long, Belfort has a hatchet-job Forbes article to his name and a nickname to match: the Wolf of Wall Street. This does nothing to stop the meteoric rise of Belfort and his firm, and he and his friends have the lifestyle to match. "Money doesn't just buy you a better life," he tells us. "It also makes you a better person." And, as we watch him work his way through two wives, countless more women and enough Quaaludes to fill his giant yacht, named for his second wife Naomi (Margot Robbie), he genuinely seems to believe it. The notoriety and supposed success come at a price, though, and FBI agent Patrick Denham (Kyle Chandler) is desperate bring down Belfort, his friends and everything they represent.
The Wolf of Wall Street is big, loud, flashy and filled with the sorts of people you hope never to meet. It's like Wall Street on steroids. And yes, there is a lot of money, a lot of hedonism and a lot of decadence, but I wouldn't say that the lifestyle portrayed ever seems very glamorous. Some scenes seem visually similar to their equivalents in Baz Luhrmann's Great Gatsby, both starring Leo and involving flashy cars, wild pool parties and grand estates on Long Island. Maybe it's just because the '90s can't compete with the '20s in the glamour stakes, but the former just felt trashy and a little sad. The Wolf of Wall Street glamorises the stock trader heyday of the '90s as much as Goodfellas glamorises the mob...
DiCaprio is great as our anti-hero. He plays Belfort with just the right balance between charisma, ego and repulsiveness. I don't think he should get the Best Actor Oscar this year, but as is often the case, the Academy may just decide it's his time. There were some good performances from the other cast members too, including Rob Reiner as Belfort's long-suffering, accountant father and Joanna Lumley as Naomi's posh British aunt, whom Belfort brings into his schemes.
The film itself is much too long; at about two hours in, I wasn't bored but I became acutely aware of how slowly the plot was moving. The humour was also problematic at times and the laughter was often quite uncomfortable. At the end, for example, *SPOILER ALERT* Belfort is finally sentenced to three years in prison and you think he might learn a little compunction, but no. "I was scared, but then I remembered I was rich," he says, "so of course I was going to have an OK time in jail." Equally, in the closing scenes we are treated to one of the motivational lectures he goes on to give in his next career. "I want you to deal with all your problems by becoming rich," he tells his audience. Hmm...
The Wolf of Wall Street is hilarious, raucous and unapologetic. If you don't like the trailer, you won't enjoy it, but if you want something fun and frothy and have three hours to kill, give it a shot.
15 January 2014
Men of Steel
Despite its great cast list, I probably wouldn't have seen Scott Cooper's new film, Out of the Furnace, if I hadn't got a ticket to a free preview screening tonight, and I was a little disappointed. I enjoyed Cooper's last film, Crazy Heart, which saw Jeff Bridges as a talented but flawed ageing country singer. Out of the Furnace just never seemed to find its way, and even Woody Harrelson at his menacing best couldn't rescue it from mediocrity, and Christian Bale seemed to be ringing in his performance as our vengeance-seeking, family-man anti-hero.
The overly complicated synopsis on IMDb should have made me suspicious. Essentially, the film is a sort of 'Eastern' Western revenge drama, set inDistrict 12 the Appalachian backwoods near the Pennsylvania–New Jersey border. Russell Baze (Bale) followed his father (Bingo O'Malley) and uncle (Sam Shepard) into the local steel mill, making a steady income and having fun with his girlfriend Lena (Zoe Saldana). He's always kept an eye out for his beloved younger brother Rodney (Casey Affleck), who wanted to go his own way, heading first for the army and Iraq and then trying to make back his gambling debts by participating in local fight clubs, under the stewardship of John Petty (Willem Dafoe).
Then a freak accident lands Russell in jail and by the time he gets out, his father is dead, Lena is with another man and Rodney is in way over his head after catching the attention of local ne'er-do-well Harlan DeGroat (Harrelson), whom we saw beating the shit out of a dude and a woman at a drive-in movie during the opening sequence. He has "f*ck" and "you" tattooed on his fists and even the local police are scared of him. A charming chap, naturally. When his brother goes missing, Russell knows DeGroat is responsible and decides to take justice into his own hands, not trusting the cops to get the job done properly. Of course, first he has to find the bastard.
Part of the problem with the film is that the plot isn't anywhere near as well structured and well paced as the story I've just outlined. There's a lot of faffing around, establishing shots and scenes depicting the less than perfect life in the Rust Belt. This kind of slow-burning, background-heavy scene worked well in a languorous meditation like Crazy Heart but was less successful in the crime thriller that is Out of the Furnace. The final act, where things finally got moving, was pretty good, but by then I'd already started to lose interest in the characters. Bale, who is a great actor, felt miscast and as though he was just referring back to his role in The Fighter — he brooded a lot but never seemed to have that killer instinct. Affleck didn't get much chance to shine, and although Harrelson did his best and the other supporting cast were all fine, the script didn't really give them much to work with.
Out of the Furnace isn't terrible, by any means; it's just a fairly run-of-the-mill (tee hee) film that can't decide whether it wants to be a revenge noir or a family drama about the powerful bond between two brothers.
The overly complicated synopsis on IMDb should have made me suspicious. Essentially, the film is a sort of 'Eastern' Western revenge drama, set in
Then a freak accident lands Russell in jail and by the time he gets out, his father is dead, Lena is with another man and Rodney is in way over his head after catching the attention of local ne'er-do-well Harlan DeGroat (Harrelson), whom we saw beating the shit out of a dude and a woman at a drive-in movie during the opening sequence. He has "f*ck" and "you" tattooed on his fists and even the local police are scared of him. A charming chap, naturally. When his brother goes missing, Russell knows DeGroat is responsible and decides to take justice into his own hands, not trusting the cops to get the job done properly. Of course, first he has to find the bastard.
Part of the problem with the film is that the plot isn't anywhere near as well structured and well paced as the story I've just outlined. There's a lot of faffing around, establishing shots and scenes depicting the less than perfect life in the Rust Belt. This kind of slow-burning, background-heavy scene worked well in a languorous meditation like Crazy Heart but was less successful in the crime thriller that is Out of the Furnace. The final act, where things finally got moving, was pretty good, but by then I'd already started to lose interest in the characters. Bale, who is a great actor, felt miscast and as though he was just referring back to his role in The Fighter — he brooded a lot but never seemed to have that killer instinct. Affleck didn't get much chance to shine, and although Harrelson did his best and the other supporting cast were all fine, the script didn't really give them much to work with.
Out of the Furnace isn't terrible, by any means; it's just a fairly run-of-the-mill (tee hee) film that can't decide whether it wants to be a revenge noir or a family drama about the powerful bond between two brothers.
13 January 2014
Dry Ginuary
I couldn't believe it when I found out there was such a thing as a Ginvent calendar — an advent calendar with a tiny bottle of gin behind each window — and this year, I was lucky enough to be given one as a birthday-Christmas combo present. As I only received it in the middle of December and as I'm not exactly the gin-a-day type, I only broke into the calendar in the new year. I'm friends with a number of gin buffs, so I decided to share the love and tempt them away from any dry January notions with a Dry Ginuary party on Saturday night.
I downloaded the tasting notes from the Gin Foundry website, and let my friends pick numbers from 1 to 24, inviting them to try to discern the featured botanicals in each gin. No points for juniper and citrus, though!
The packaging of the drams is adorable: tiny bottles with an aged, Courier-font label and a faux sealing wax lid.
I still have a few bottles left, but we worked our way through a fair number before switching back to my local favourite, Jensen's Bermondsey Gin. Of the gins I sampled, I think my favourites were probably the Dorothy Parker Gin (which I tried at Gin Palace in New York in October), the Geranium Gin (I don't normally go for floral notes, but this was fresh and light) and the Cream Gin, which was subtly sweet and delicious. Also, although it's a little different for the gins I normally go for, the Navy-Strength Bathtub Gin had a really interesting taste — very citrusy and, at 57% abv, one hell of a kick.
If you're a gin fan or would like to be, I'd recommend the Ginvent calendar — and you don't need to wait until Advent, of course! It's convinced me to pick up a bottle of Dorothy Parker Gin when I'm next in New York and to continue to seek out interesting bars that have more to offer than Gordon's and Tanqueray!
I downloaded the tasting notes from the Gin Foundry website, and let my friends pick numbers from 1 to 24, inviting them to try to discern the featured botanicals in each gin. No points for juniper and citrus, though!
The packaging of the drams is adorable: tiny bottles with an aged, Courier-font label and a faux sealing wax lid.
I still have a few bottles left, but we worked our way through a fair number before switching back to my local favourite, Jensen's Bermondsey Gin. Of the gins I sampled, I think my favourites were probably the Dorothy Parker Gin (which I tried at Gin Palace in New York in October), the Geranium Gin (I don't normally go for floral notes, but this was fresh and light) and the Cream Gin, which was subtly sweet and delicious. Also, although it's a little different for the gins I normally go for, the Navy-Strength Bathtub Gin had a really interesting taste — very citrusy and, at 57% abv, one hell of a kick.
If you're a gin fan or would like to be, I'd recommend the Ginvent calendar — and you don't need to wait until Advent, of course! It's convinced me to pick up a bottle of Dorothy Parker Gin when I'm next in New York and to continue to seek out interesting bars that have more to offer than Gordon's and Tanqueray!
12 January 2014
Song of Solomon
After a slow start for new cinema releases, 2014 is getting back on track as the countdown to the Oscars begins. Today I went to see Steve McQueen's excellent new film 12 Years a Slave, which surely has numerous Academy Award nominations in the bag.
The film is based on the memoir of the same name by Solomon Northup, which tells the story of how Northup (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free black man living in Upstate New York in the 1840s, is seduced by a job offer in Washington DC and then kidnapped and sold into slavery. Northup is a talented musician with a beloved wife (Kelsey Scott) and two young children. But after he travels to Washington with two men who have promised him a gig with a travelling circus, he wakes up to find himself chained and locked in a prison cell, with only hazy memories of the night before. It is heartbreaking to watch as the guards refuse to accept his explanation that he is a free man from New York, and tell him that he is really a runaway slave from Georgia.
He is bought by the relatively benevolent plantation owner William Ford (Benedict Cumberbatch), a baptist minister who tries to treat his slaves fairly. "He's a decent man," Solomon says. "Under the circumstances." Although Solomon has a good relationship with Ford, he constantly faces criticism and abuse from Ford's overseer, Tibeats (Paul Dano), and eventually, in order to "protect" Solomon, Ford sells him on to another master — the only one who will take him, his literacy and musical talent making many other would-be masters wary of him. Edwin Epps (a scarily sociopathic Michael Fassbender) is a whole different breed. He whips his slaves every day if they don't meet the impossibly high cotton quotas he sets for them and he sexually abuses one of the young female slaves, Patsey (Lupita Nyong'o), whom he also uses as a pawn to taunt his jealous wife (Sarah Paulson).
All the while, Solomon keeps thinking of his family and the life he once had. He tries to stay optimistic, even in the face of hopelessness. "You let yourself be overcome by sorrow and you will drown in it," he says. But will he ever be able to overcome the odds and find his way back to his family and safety? Well, given the title of the film and that it is based on a memoir, the eventual outcome is hardly a surprise, but that doesn't make McQueen's movie any less harrowing. And it is a hard watch. There are many scenes with graphic depictions of slaves being whipped and beaten and every small chance Solomon has of being rescued seems to be crushed. The hazy Georgia landscapes are peppered with red — sunsets, paddle steamer wheels, blood — and the score is by turns haunting and melancholic, and uncomfortable.
Ejiofor's performance is outstanding: his character is powerfully sympathetic, even at his most understated, and he makes it hard for you to take your eyes from the screen, even for a moment. Fassbender doesn't shy away from playing such a horrible person as the sadistic Epps. When faced with a blight affecting his cotton, he asks, "What I done that God hates me so?" We, of course, have just seen only a fraction of the terrible things he has done and yet he has no idea; we also see how weak he really is and how this motivates his cruelty. 12 Years a Slave is a compelling, important and beautifully told story of human strength and weakness. It is moving and engaging, and well worth a trip to the cinema.
01 January 2014
Twenty Fourteen
New Year's Eve in London can be expensive, so instead of shelling for meal in a restaurant or a pricey bar trip, we went round to my brother's place to ring in the new year. We were treated to a plankful of antipasti, followed by a delicious fillet steak and fries.
The food was accompanied by a series of drinks, including killer blood orange margaritas and Champagne, although unfortunately, we didn't have time to play the guess-the-botanical game I had devised using some of the drams from my Ginvent Calendar. Another time.
My master-baker friend had also created an awesome batch of new-year-themed cupcakes, which were adorable.
As midnight approached, we realised that we didn't have time to make it to the top of Stave Hill, where we watched the fireworks last year — also, it was raining horribly and very windy — so we stopped at Greenland Docks, which has a nice very of the Canary Wharf skyline, and offers glimpses of the central London fireworks. Can you spot them (and the Shard) in the first photo below? I didn't want to take my DSLR with me because of the weather, so the photo quality isn't great.
It was a fun way to spend New Year's Eve and I even made it to bed by 2.30, which meant I was able to force myself to go running this lunchtime in the horrible weather. No rest for the wicked.
With flights booked to Japan in May and Canada in July, 2014 is already shaping up to be an exciting year. I hope it's a good year for you too!
The food was accompanied by a series of drinks, including killer blood orange margaritas and Champagne, although unfortunately, we didn't have time to play the guess-the-botanical game I had devised using some of the drams from my Ginvent Calendar. Another time.
My master-baker friend had also created an awesome batch of new-year-themed cupcakes, which were adorable.
As midnight approached, we realised that we didn't have time to make it to the top of Stave Hill, where we watched the fireworks last year — also, it was raining horribly and very windy — so we stopped at Greenland Docks, which has a nice very of the Canary Wharf skyline, and offers glimpses of the central London fireworks. Can you spot them (and the Shard) in the first photo below? I didn't want to take my DSLR with me because of the weather, so the photo quality isn't great.
It was a fun way to spend New Year's Eve and I even made it to bed by 2.30, which meant I was able to force myself to go running this lunchtime in the horrible weather. No rest for the wicked.
With flights booked to Japan in May and Canada in July, 2014 is already shaping up to be an exciting year. I hope it's a good year for you too!