XOXO

Defunct gay bar The Green has been replaced by a sleeker, smarter, proposition in the shape of narrow, low-lit lounge/restaurant XOXO. Tricked out in dark woods with mushroom upholstered booths and ruby panne velvet armchairs, it stays open late and should pull in a good crowd – it is slap in the middle of weekend party central, Upper Street, after all. What it promises is a combination of draught Tuborg lager, accessible wines and a long list of mid-priced cocktails, bolstered by a concise Thai menu that runs from bar snacks of chicken satay, dim sum and seafood (steamed scallops with coriander and soy dressing) to various curries, spicy salads and stir-fries. Given the plethora of past launches/failures on this strip, any new arrival’s guarantee of success is at best 50/50 – much like the outcome of a game of noughts and crosses, as suggested by XOXO’s name.