Review: Cellar Bar New Menu Launch
Our subterranean cocktail bar in Shoreditch – the Cellar Bar – dropped its brand-new cocktail list last week, and it certainly went down a treat.
The focus of the menu was the best of British past, present, and future – utilising some of the finest and rarest British ingredients available.
There was also a distinct focus on seasonality – everything that goes into these tonics minus the preserves and syrups are entirely in line with our descent into the colder months.
Lawrence of Arabia – precision.
Matt Green, head bartender, explained some of the other criteria they looked for when selecting the ingredients that built the menu:
“Quality, mostly. While we may take a bit of a hit on the profits we make on each drink – because we still want to offer it at a competitive price – we also wanted to use products that we both love and that are banging quality, really.”
And that quality really shines through, given the nature of some of the drinks. Whether you’re admiring the precision and attention to detail that has gone into the fragrant Lawrence of Arabia, the unique glassware (if you can call it that) and backstory behind The Clink, or the zaniest Old Fashioned you’ll have ever seen or tasted in the Do You Even Shoreditch?, this menu is simply full of delightful surprises.
When quizzed on the seemingly-wacky nature of some of the serves, our bar manager Saša Rudivic said:
“I guess that with our past menus we’ve been a bit stern and serious, and here we really wanted to show another side to us and break the mould a little bit. We wanted to highlight that we’re a bunch of fun-loving guys down here in the cellars, we don’t get to go outside all that much, never mind see daylight, so this was our chance to show everyone ‘this is what happens when you keep us down here, we just come up with crazy ideas!’”
On the night nothing on the menu went unordered, which is always a sign that a new list is on to something good.
Attendees were also treated to a soundtrack of old-school rare groove by our resident DJs, who took over the booth especially for the evening.
A good night had by all, then. If you’re keen on finding out more about our new list, and meeting each serve individually, then click here and have a read of our Q&A with the bar team.
Oh! Plus we’re now open on Tuesdays. Exciting times for the Cellar Bar – why not book your alcove today?
