Category Archives: Bars

Live at Zedel: Miss Hope Springs at Crazy Coqs

A night on the town wound down with a maudlin performance replete with twinkling piano keys in a swank cocktail bar was the right mix for a Saturday outing in Soho. Continue reading

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Cocktail Recipe: Isla de Encanta

Here’s the recipe for Isla de Encanta, my drink served during London Cocktail Week at The Beachcomber Bar in celebration of the 10th anniversary of my blog. Continue reading

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San Francisco: Golden Getaway | #TCTikiTour

The thunder clapped, and the rain came down in heavy sheets. Our California Tiki Tour was off to a perfect start with an exotic night out in San Francisco. Continue reading

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Brünch with Jägermeister

Brünch with Jägermeister was inventive and convivial – and a tasty opportunity for me to get officially over my aversion for this herby German digestif. Continue reading

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Ti Punch Tiki at The Beachcomber Bar | 10X10 with tikichris

As part of my 10X10 celebration of ten years blogging, I teamed up with one of my favourite London bars for a cocktail collaboration. We played around with the recipe for a classic ti punch, adding a touch of tikichris madness to make it truly something special. Head over to The Beachcomber Bar this weekend for a taste. Continue reading

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Infographic: The Counter Dining Revolution

Viva la revolución! The “counter dining revolution” that is. Sitting down at a table for a meal is so passé or at least nowhere near as trendy as sidling up to the bar for a casual bite however brief or … Continue reading

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California Tiki Tour & More | #TCTikiTour

A long time in the making and a fine time in the doing, Kemey and I spent the tail end of August and first week or so of September on a California tiki bar road trip. Driving from San Francisco to San Diego, much of our route was along the famously panoramic California State Highway 1 – aka the Pacific Coast Highway – with stops in Carmel-by-the-Sea, Solvang, Los Angeles, Disneyland, and Huntington Beach. Continue reading

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Feeling Fino | Outro

As I wrote in my introduction to this series of posts, visiting Jerez felt like a dream. Being able to experience the city with hometown hero Tio Pepe made it one of the tastier dreams to come true for me as a writer since I started this blog. Continue reading

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Woodford Reserve Lounge at Sager + Wilde Paradise Row

The Woodford Reserve Lounge at Sager + Wilde (at Paradise Row restaurant/bar/terrace not the Hackney Road wine bar) offers a subdued earth tone retreat from the world with a lofty perch above the Bethnal Green bustle. Continue reading

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The Admiral Codrington

Chelsea mainstay, The Admiral Codrington, is a smart pub to keep in mind for a low-key rendezvous in an upscale atmosphere. Continue reading

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Get Stoked! Great Cocktails at Victory Mansion

Stoke Newington bar, Victory Mansion, serves ambitious cocktails in a cozy setting. Continue reading

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Great Day Out + Great Wines Too | Hush Heath Estate & Winery

Hardly an hour out of London by train (via Charing Cross to Staplehurst) is Hush Heath, a 400 acre estate in the heart of Kent with vineyards, orchards, grasslands and ancient oak forests. The estate also owns a few pubs. Two are within earshot of the Hush Heath vineyards, in the villages of Goudhurst and West Farleigh. Both offer overnight accommodation. The others are in London, near Liverpool Street Station and Smithfield Market. Continue reading

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Difference Coffee Company

Entrepreneur Amir Gehl is on a mission to create the “ultimate terroir-led coffee collection” not to mention what’s got to the be the world’s most expensive collection of coffee capsules, with his new venture Difference Coffee Company. Continue reading

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Feeling Fino: Bars and Restaurants in Jerez

I ate, drank and propped up bars with such pleasure during my short stay in Jerez. For a town of hardly more than 200,000 residents and not an overwhelming lot of tourists passing through, there’s an awesome lineup of dynamic restaurants and bars. With memories of authentic Spanish food and drink, served with warmth and pride in evocative settings, my heart (and appetite) remains in Jerez. Continue reading

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Jim Beam “Tastes of Kentucky” Menu at Joe’s Southern Table & Bar

Jim Beam and Covent Garden restaurant, Joe’s Southern Table & Bar, have teamed up to create a Tastes of Kentucky menu pairing Jim Bourbon cocktails with classic American comfort food favourites. Continue reading

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The World’s End Market (Again)

It’s a good feeling when you revisit a place you already like a lot to find it’s even better than you remembered. That was the case when I recently paid a repeat visit to The World’s End Market in Chelsea. Continue reading

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Improve Your Mood at El Camion, Brewer Street, Soho

Tequila enlivens your mood. And if you’re drinking the quality stuff it won’t leave you feeling hung over with a headache the next day. Does this sound like a shot of just-what-the-doctor-ordered? Then ándale your way over to Soho for taste of Old Mexico at El Camion. Continue reading

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Good Food and Excellent Cocktails at Malmaison London

Chez Mal, the restaurant at the Malmaison London hotel is a smart choice for a good meal and fine cocktail. Continue reading

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Polpo Does Brunch

Everybody’s favourite British bácaro presents newfound reason to get up and out on the weekend with a just launched brunch menu available on Saturdays and Sundays at all Polpo locations. Continue reading

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Rustiko Bar & Restaurant, Old Compton Street

Upon invitation to give its new Craft Beer of the Month a go, I paid Rustiko Bar & Restaurant a friendly visit last week. Great beer! And great place to keep in mind whatever Italianate libations you seek in Soho. Continue reading

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#DeepSouthFarEast Supper Club | 10X10 with tikichris

Next on the roster of 10 events to mark my decade in blogging, is another tasty team up. This time round, I’m collaborating with one of my favourite supper club chefs, Malaysian Home Cooking superstar Vi Vian Woo! Together, Ms … Continue reading

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Cane to Cocktail: Blue Mountain Bliss

The Cane to Cocktail tour continued onwards and upwards into the mighty Blue Mountains for a taste of some of the world’s best coffee and sundowner with dinner at a cozy little boutique hideaway. Continue reading

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Cane to Cocktail: Screechies, Hellshire Beach

A big shack on a small crescent beach, my morning at Screechies lived up to my years of daydreaming about how a lazy day in Jamaica might play out. Continue reading

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Rooftop Pop-Up: Santa Monica at SkyLounge

Santa Monica Travel and Tourism is hosting a Santa Monica themed rooftop pop-up bar at the SkyLounge rooftop bar at the top of the DoubleTree by Hilton Tower of London hotel. Continue reading

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Sailor Jerry Pop-Up Bar at The Well

Popular Clerkenwell pub, The Well, goes Hawaiian for the summer with a “Hotel Street” pop-up cocktail bar in collaboration with Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum. Continue reading

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Pall Mall Fine Wine

As its name succinctly suggests, Pall Mall Fine Wine is indeed a fine place to enjoy wine at a rather well heeled address. Continue reading

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Creole Kitchen at The Beachcomber

A boozy island paradise awaits your discovery at The Beachcomber, a basement bar just a jaunt away from Bayswater Station. It’s a great destination for rummy cocktails, and with a new menu of “bites and small plates” by Vanessa Bolosier of Creole Kitchen, The Beachcomber is a tasty place for bar snacks that equal the yum of its tiki drinks. Continue reading

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Chai Ki Monday Mash-Up with Beavertown Brewery

Canary Wharf modern Indian restaurant, Chai Ki, has launched a series of Monday Mash-Up special events pairing London brewed craft beers with dishes from its Chai Ki Toddy Shop bar menu. Kicking things off is a “Guerrilla Craft Beer” experiment highlighting a range of beers from Beavertown Brewery. Continue reading

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Raw Wine Fair 2016

Held at the Old Truman Brewery 15 and 16 May and featuring wines from more than 200 growers, Raw Wine Fair will present for a fifth year in a row a delicious and intriguing collection of fine, natural, organic and biodynamic wine from across the globe. Continue reading

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Bestaurant: Share and Discover Everybody’s Favourite Restaurants

Bestaurant is a new free-to-download social foodie app that enables you to share your favourite restaurants with followers and friends – and to check out what their favourite places to eat and drink are too. I joined Bestaurant a couple of weeks ago and have found it to be a convenient way to keep track of and share my personal history of good eats, while highlighting my absolute faves and seeing what other folks recommend. Continue reading

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Mia in Mauritius: Julia’s Top Three

For more tips to make the most of your time in Mauritius, blog contributor Mia shares more highlights from her visit. In this post, Mia lets us in on the preferred doings of another from her entourage: her sister, Julia. Continue reading

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New Menu at The Drift and All Drake & Morgan Restaurants

London bar and restaurant group, Drake & Morgan, has launched a new spring/summer menu focused on “Mediterranean flavours and sun-kissed ingredients.” An invitation to have a taste of the new menu led to a lovely Sunday lunch for Kemey and me at D&M’s airy, expansive and pleasant The Drift at the base of Heron Tower. Continue reading

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Wiener Demeanour: Cafes, Restaurants, and Bars

I had a delicious time in Vienna – a city that perhaps more than any other best exemplifies European café culture and presents visitors with a delectable array of food and drink options ranging from down-to-earth comforts to upscale innovations. … Continue reading

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Shepherd Market Wine House

Bravo to Ben Van de Meutter – manager, buyer, and Head Sommelier at Shepherd Market Wine House – for knowing his stuff and backing it up with enthusiasm and presenting his wares in an approachable manner and in an easy-going and comfortable setting. Continue reading

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Review: El Dorado Rum and Rococo Chocolate Pairing at Barrio Soho

Award-winning rum paired with award-winning chocolate? There’s no awards for assuming Barrio Soho’s recent El Dorado Demerara Rums and Rococo Chocolate pairing was a deeply flavourful success! Continue reading

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