Lodge d'Argent at Coq d'Argent

Lodge d'Argent at Coq d'Argent

Open until end of February only!

http://www.coqdargent.co.uk/whats-on-bank/events/lodge-dargent

No.1 Poultry, London EC2R 8EJ

Daydreaming of being on holiday somewhere cold yet cozy to feel better about the cold weather we have been having? Close your eyes and transport yourself into this ski lodge special set-up at Coq d'Argent. They have a warm and cozy winter garden - or ski lodge - set up in their garden side of bar/restaurant.

The seats are covered in cozy faux fur layouts and there are even keep-warm fleeces available for those who really like to get toasty. The garden also has heaters to cosy up the atmosphere. 

If, like many, you are coming here to enjoy the wide variety of cocktails and the feel of being away in a snowy land somewhere in Switzerland or France...you too will get peckish and dart your eyes onto the bar menu snacks. The item that really jumps out is the whole baked Vacherin cheese & toasted bread. What better way to make yourself feel loved from inside out than melted cheese while you wait with great anticipation to see what great pleasure and taste sensations their cocktails will bring. For those who like a cigar are able to order a cigar from menu as well and really sit back and enjoy themselves.

So, naturally, me and my mystery date opt for the melted cheese option and place our orders for cocktails of our choice.

My eyes brighten up when I see the Martini cocktail section - you have never seen a Martini match like the ones I am staring at! Choice of 3 intriguing Martinis are:

Pickled Martini - Ketel vodka infused with dill, cucumber, mustard seeds & black peppercorns, served with dry vermouth and pickled gherkins

Caraway Martini - Polugar Caraway stirred to perfection with fine ice & white vermouth, served with rye bread and smoked salmon

Caper Martini - Sauvelle vodka stirred to perfection with Tio Pepe & caper berry brie, served with caper berries.

If you happen to be from a Russian tradition country like me, you would be drawn to these interesting cocktails. Only if you have grown up with gherkins, blinis and rye bread will you wonder how to still enjoy these things without all the calories. The answer is - in a Martini cocktail!

 After long 5 minutes of eenie-meenie-miney-mo I choose the Caraway Martini as I like my drinks pure and true to themselves. The rye bread and salmon are, at this stage, only a bonus. You may think the recipe doesn't quite give away much exciting as it only consists of vodka and vermouth but if you look into it, it all starts to make sense. Polugar vodka is based on rye distillate with caraway and coriander added before the 3rd distilling.

Finally my much anticipated meal-drink Martini arrives with a rye bread and salmon 'sandwich' sitting on a cocktail stick as a simple garnish. I don't think much of it at first so I take a sip - nice and strong drink! But wait! The after-taste is like dark rye bread with cumin tinge powered by a strong vermouth after flavour burn at the top of my mouth and travelling down, warming me up instantly from inside.  If you have eaten dark bread with cumin seeds, you will know what I mean by the cumin tinge...you bite the cumin and it just releases this enhancing flavour through your mouth that makes you want to eat more of it and keep experiencing it. I am taken aback at this sensation - how can this drink possibly taste like I have just eaten a rye bread if I clearly haven't even touched the garnish sandwich?!?!

So I try another sip...and there it is again! that sweet rye bread and cumin tinge, as if I had just eaten the salmon rye bread sandwich. I decide to experiment a little and remove the salmon rye bread before taking a sip. I figure it must be a smell thing that kicks in. I take another sip now without smelling the bread - and it tastes like a pure martini cocktail again...no after taste. I don't know about you but this is quite sensational! By smelling the bread set on a cocktail garnish stick, it enhances my whole martini cocktail so greatly that it creates the illusion and hunger to actually eat what you feel like you are tasting! I'm sorry to go on about it but you really MUST try this cocktail, and take small sips and really savour them to get the taste I am talking about. 

 Second drink we tried was from the rest of the cocktail menu, and we chose the Ghost Cider - Somerset cider brandy 10yr old stirred to perfection with clementine juice, homemade redcurrant shrub & sugar syrup. Another cozy drink to have in a warm winter garden. The drink arrives beautifully garnished and looking refreshing like a winter forest with fresh fruit in a tin cup. This might sound obvious but the brandy and cider mix makes it honey-like sweet but refreshing because of the currants and citrus fruits mixed in. It's like a perked up honey-like brandy drink with the refreshing pick-me-up of a fresh berry sourness. Another winter warmer in disguise as it is oh so nice and cold in this cozy heated winter lodge. Small sip of this cold goodness and you might not even notice your date opposite you, it's so pleasant!

There are so many interesting cocktails to choose from, and I am left feeling like they all come with their secret taste surprise after having my Martini drink. Cocktails like Malones Hot Pig, Cinnamon Bagel, Spiced Mojito, Pickled Jar and Plum Royal all catch my curious attention.

This Lodge in Coq d'Argent is a really pleasant place. It might not look like it at first sight but once you are sat down, all the decorations and elements really come together to create this personal bubble where you don't even notice the rest of the guests nearby. You are totally transformed into your own taste world and pampered from inside out with the gooey cheese, bread and magical cocktails.

I am left wondering what the remaining 2 Martini cocktails taste like...there is more taste-smell adventures to be had here and i just know it! I can't wait to come back when the summer garden maze opens and I can sit back and revel in the magical smell-taste of my perfect Martini. My expectations have completely been blown out of water.

I feel like I need to shake the mixologist's hand in person to thank him/her for such beautiful and mind blowing experience.

MM Rating 9 out of 10     Cocktails Rating 8.5 out of 10          Venue Rating 8.5 out of 10  

The Vault of Soho

The Vault of Soho

 Milroy's of Soho cellar bar, through the bookcase entrance at the back of the shop

http://www.thevaultsoho.co.uk

3 Greek St, London W1D 4NX

A buzzing Friday night, the lively streets of Soho, one thirsty MartiniMule with sense of adventure.

London is known for its mysterious underground discoveries when it comes to nightlife. You might be walking the streets of soho during daytime and think you know all the places you pass on your way. But come night, and the doors you never knew were there start opening in the oddest places.

I have been walking past this little place called Milroy's of Soho for at least a year now! Not knowing that it has a very 'Scooby Doo' like secret back-of-the-shop bookcase entrance to a quirky whisky cellar bar underneath it. I decided to try their offerings.

The dark and romantic cellar bar is very much like a pub but has that modern cool about it that only candle light and dark cloudy cocktails can create. As we squint our eyes to see what cocktail choices are available, 2 drinks jump out as the least whiskey-like ones (as neither myself or my date are particular whiskey fans). We go for the following: Flying Peach: Nectarines & blackberries infused gin, lemon, Maraschino, Regal Rouge - arrives in the type of glass I enjoy drinking out of the most! (equals no ice cubes and more of the good stuff so no loss in taste). What I was hoping when reading the make-up of the cocktail was a heavy yet fruity drink with that sweet taste of vermouth (Regal Rogue). I could definitely taste the heaviness in the drink - more like a drink made up of whiskey but disguised by taste of blackberries...more like a muted whiskey drink so you can't taste the whiskey. Which is quite fitting to the location of this cellar bar underneath a whiskey shop really! I believe this place is more enjoyable for whiskey lovers or the neutral bottle of wine/sparkly orderers looking for cosy discoveries.

Charlie Brown: Peanut infused bourbon, sea salt, mint syrup, PX sherry, chocolate bitters - you can see why one would go for this cocktail, can't you? It reads like a recipe for a sea-salt caramel chocolate bar with an after-eight to finish. Again, this drink really surprised in a way that it tasted nothing like what we expected - I suspect due to the lack of whiskey love and knowledge more than anything else. I could really taste the smokiness of the PX sherry. I suspect this is due to the higher acidity of the PX sherry mixed with the bourbon. Chocolate bitters adds this tinge of raw cacao to the sting of the bourbon.This one is a real man's drink.

We didn't stay to find out about more cocktails as it was very clear from the choices that we were in foreign tasting grounds at a whiskey bar. It is a great place to bring a date that isn't into her vodka cocktails and would rather sip some wine or bubbles as the place looks and feels very romantic yet allows the man to really enjoy the whiskey choices available from the multi tiered cocktail menu specialising in various aged whiskeys. Also a great place to just casually pop into during your night out in Soho to show off your cool credentials (pre 23:30 though as it doesn't stay open past midnight).

A great adventure into the unknown!

Cocktails Rating 6 out of 10          Venue Rating 8 out of 10

Buddha-Bar (quick sip)

Buddha-Bar London

www.buddhabarlondon.com

145 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7PA

Buddha-Bar, the serene looking cocktail bar/restaurant in the middle of the decadent Knightsbridge. I had the chance to pop into this lovely bar for some quick pre-dinner refreshing drinks.

The ladies at the reception gave us a warm welcome even though we had made no booking. We got seated near the bar and were left to read the wondrous cocktail choices available to capture the essence of their cocktail making prowess. Having a quick glance over their cocktail offerings I notice how words exuding freshness and tropical fruitiness jump out at you at every recipe - be it mixed with vodka, gin or whiskey. This surprised me a bit as whiskey is quite hard to mix with fruit flavours and winter is not normally when the fruitiness is most popular in choices.

We finally settled on our choices: Bubble Wap - a mix of strawberry & Raspberry puree, rose liquor, elderflower liquor, touch of Belvedere vodka, topped up with Champagne. Presentation is pristine and clean - mouthwateringly beautiful fluffy top with bright yet natural looking juicy cocktail shining through the glass in expertly dimmed light. Just the thing you want to see when you sit down for a refreshing drink in a busy city like London. Music is soothing and pleasant to the ears, really relaxing you and making you feel at ease. It already feels like a holiday. Drink tastes anything but standard - it is strikingly refreshing and not overly sweet as you would often find your fruity cocktails. the subtle hints of rose liquor and elderflower liquor really soften the fruitiness in this drink and make it really quite pleasant. And to make sure the drink still stands out, the champagne really gives it a bit of a buzz without affecting the taste of the drink too much. They say everybody can make a cocktail with the right drinks and equipment but I disagree. To make something as standard in writing yet so outstanding in actual outcome really requires some skill to pull off perfectly each time.

Our sexond choice was Kiwi Kukama - a mix of Ketel One Citroen vodka, elderflower liquor, fresh kiwi, fresh cucumber and lemon bitters. When I picked this drink I was really after something fresh, hoping to really taste the kiwi fruit as you don't really come across too many kiwi flavours in drinks these days. My only fear is that the lemon bitters will overpower my drink and flood the nice fresh tastes of kiwi and cucumber. When the drink arrives, I make a quick judgement and think that my fear has become reality as colour is clearly towards more citrusy shade. I try to balance the beautiful cucumber garnish as I take my first sips and instantly perk my eyebrows up in pleasant surprise as if I had just tried something that reminded me of my childhood. The drink tastes so fresh, I feel like I could drink the whole glass in one go and go for second and third just to quench my thirst on a hot summer's day. The taste is strongly cucumber-like and the strong flavours of kiwi and lemon actually only accentuate the cucumber as if to bring it to the forefront of the whole experience rather than be the main body of the drink.I feel like the name of the cocktail is a bit of a twist as to taste the kiwi, you really have to concentrate as it blends so well with lemon. I maintain my pleasant enjoyment of the drink throughout my time at Buddha-Bar and observe the environment.

This place is perfect for a quick after work drink when you really need that 'ahhh' moment of relaxation in a slightly dimmed surrounding with spa-like music. It is perfect for those catch ups with your friends where you can get away from the busy streets outside and really enjoy each other's company. Moreover, this place is absolutely perfect for couples and anyone trying to impress a date. The bar staff are very attentive yet non-intrusive which makes the experience even better. Customer service at its best.

As we need to move on to our dinner location, I feel that this was just a taster. It has left me hungry for more. Having found such a great venue I really want to try out the barman skills and see if they could perhaps use the same skills as when putting together the cocktails they serve to deliver my perfect lucky-dip Martini. I would also like to try their selection of wine as this place really relaxes you and makes you want to return for more. Until my next visit....

MM Rating - to follow once I've returned to challenge the bar staff

Cocktail Rating - 9/10

Venue rating - 10/10

Sky Garden - Sky Pod Bar

Sky Lounge - Sky Pod Bar

http://skygarden.london

20 Fenchurch St, London EC3M 8AF

The patient and hopeful search for sunset in the city (in rainy cold season) has brought me and my date to the high up gardens in the sky - otherwise known as the Sky Garden.

Unfortunately, we didn't quite see the sunset due to the windy and rainy early evening but we did get a good view of the stunning gray-blue dusky skyline. First impressions when entering the Walkie Talkie building was something out of a thriller movie - well organised entrance welcome with a strong side of full security scanner arch! That did get me into a bit of an excited mood as I suddenly started worrying if I was carrying anything on me to warrant the security to pull me aside. After the all clear, we step straight into the lift and up to the Sky Garden!

First thoughts when we walk through the doors into the vast open garden space are: I feel like a tourist. This place doesn't quite match what I had in mind from a sky high bar. I was expecting intimate space and what I saw at first glance was more like a viewing platform with no chance of getting a seat at any of the tables set out in the open.

We decided to have a walk around the gardens to get acquainted with the vast garden spaces and play a bit of tourist ourselves by trying to capture the beautiful views of London. Going up the sides of the garden along the windows, I am pleased to find a lot of cosy little sitting spaces 'in the forest'. I am feeling much more cosy than I initially found myself walking into this large space of green in the sky.

On to explore the Sky Pod bar menu...I decide to get a warming lucky-dip Martini as I find there aren't any at all (!) on the menu. I scan through the menu for hints of juices or fruits and flavours they might have and type of flavours that they could feel comfortable playing with. I pick a fresh and easy Grapefruit flavoured Martini -  Tanqueray gin based Martini, shaken with a twist. As I reveal my order I wait for the confused look on the barman's face and find that they politely hide the fact that they have no idea what I have just asked for. 

My date chooses a cocktail from the menu, Out to Sea, a beautifully garnished flute glass cocktail which is made up of Havana 3YrO, Amaretto, passion fruit juice, cocoa, lime juice, pineapple juice and grenadine. 

  One sip and my tastebuds travel from fruity tropical flavours to sweet marzipan-like Amaretto in a creamy concoction. A drink you really want to sip on slowly to keep the taste lingering as long as possible. Beautiful flavour and beautiful presentation. A true romantic's drink.

Now on to my lucky-dip Grapefruit Martini. I am full of excitement at the thought of the flavour I am expecting from this drink. Sadly, I find the Martini quite flat and flavourless. The garnish of a grapefruit skin was a great finish to the drink but that's all I can say for the Martini. My heart sinks and I feel jealous of all the tasty cocktails being sipped around me. We spot beautifully garnished cosmopolitan-like drinks with a tuft of candy floss hanging over it (Pink Is The Question).

After a disappointing start, we try another cocktail to get a better taste of the range on offer. We go for the following:

Red Passion - Belvedere vodka, apricot liqueur, lemon, pistachio, passion fruit and redcurrants. What pulled me to this drink was the mention of redcurrants and pistachio. I thought it was an interesting mix and didn't really expect too much after my first drink. One sip and your eyebrows will rise in sudden unexpected punch of soft pistachio hint of fresh fruitiness. Every sip takes you away to a happy place. The drink is not as strongly fruity as you would expect from looking at the ingredients but instead, soft and healthy tasting fruit drink with a cloud of pistachio to sweeten up those fruits/berries. It is really quite refreshing yet pleasing.

Soho Sympathy - King of Soho Gin, Frangelico Liqueur, Mozart Black Chocolate Liqueur, vanilla sugar, bananas and cream. Garnished with 2 straws of white chocolate, this cocktail looks closest to your classic Pina Colada. At the outset you would probably expect to see some milkshake style drink with a chocolatey colour. How wrong all your ideas of the drink really are! This cocktail is so divine and full of surprises, it doesn't give away the ingredients in any distinguishable flavour. You certainly can't tell it has bananas and chocolate liqueur in it. Yet another surprisingly subtle cocktail with a leading Frangelico liqueur taste taking you on a dream holiday in the sky. Now that's called daydreaming.

Overall, I find out that the cocktail menus are put together quarterly and all barmen receive thorough training to ensure consistent delivery of these magical creations. Hats off to whoever comes up with these cocktails as all cocktails we chose from their menu were an unexpected surprise of flavours that really worked and you wouldn't normally find in your average cocktail bar. Unfortunately, the barmen don't seem confident in making up orders off menu and feel out of depth when having to use own initiative in delivering customers' requests.

I think this place is great for bringing your friends and relatives to prior to a meal somewhere as the cocktails from the menu really do take you away from your daily grind and transport you to a place that pleases your tastes and views that are breathtaking.

MM Rating 7 out of 10               Cocktails Rating 10 out of 10          Venue Rating 7 out of 10

(Martini Mule rating)