I usually hold off on reviewing a bar/restaurant until I've been there twice, to confirm if the place is consistently good. My experiences here brilliantly support this approach, as on the first visit I would have smacked a 4 star rating on it without question. Sadly on my second visit, it would have struggled for 2 stars. Here's why:
Visit 1: I will say the exterior and the decor inside is really lovely, lots of wood, faux cut glass, and amber lighting; the design harkens back to the 1930s and slides you in a cocktail mood.
A pleasant security man greeted us upon entering, and as there were no tables available, we happily plonked down on stools at the bar. We spent an hour or two downing some delicious, interesting, and reasonably priced drinks from the menu. The bartender was excellent and really knew her (emphasis on *her*) stuff. We enjoyed talking about drinks, liqueurs, method, and all sorts of subtopics of mixology. It was a lovely evening.
Visit 2: Eagerly returned. I noticed the staff were different, which isn't anything peculiar for a bar. However it was as if I'd entered a parallel universe with everything all wrong. The woman seating us seemed generally confused and unable to make a decision on anything. Took ages to place a drinks order. This time I was in the mood for a simple, plain Gin Martini. Very dry. Now, these aren't on the menu (as the drinks menu lists a number of complicated mixes), but any decent bartender should be able to assemble this cocktail.
Hands down, this was THE WORST martini I ever had in my life.
It was sweet, way too much vermouth despite the fact I'd clearly specified dry, and even confirmed it with the waitress to make she got it. So either the waitress forgot to tell the bartender, or the bartender had no idea what a 'dry' martini was. To top it off, the olives in the martini had stones in them. *Yes*, stones. WTF??
Disappointed, I could not bear to imbibe this hideous concoction and left half of it in the glass (sinful!). Took another age to get the bill and escape this annoying experience. Based on this visit, I wouldn't be running back there. read more