Grapes of Wrath, Cat Diesel, the Thriller in Perilla. Ok, so they are not going to win any awards for the wit in giving names to their cocktails, but should certainly win many for the fabulous concoctions, whisked up in the industrial bunker that passes for a bar.
The restaurant may be booked out for months in advance, but when three of us rocked up at the door and asked if it was ok to slip downstairs for a cheeky couple of drinks, we were met with a: “what a marvellous idea”. I got the impression that the friendly front of house would quite happily have joined us for a small libation, had he not been working.
Downstairs, staff are as friendly and, as any true master of his or her art would be, happy to talk you through the drinks, let you taste some of their home grown syrups and share with you the enjoyment that they clearly get out of being at the top of their game.
So some of the garnishes are past the moniker “odd” (Mellow Yellow comes with a slice of yellow pepper for goodness sake), but so what? The cocktails are terrific, the place buzzes and the staff super friendly. One of the best of the new breed of premium cocktail joints.