There is no scientific, mixologist opinion in this selection of delectable drinks. Just my view on where I have had a good time, good drink with good company.
Well, really it’s the Charcoal Bar, which is beneath Sumi Robata. It has 12 seats and that is it. I had one of my leaving dos here and it was fantastic. I had visited prior and a friend ordered an Old Fashioned: it took a while. I sat at the bar, fixated on the barman who chiselled a square block of ice into a sphere to pour the Old Fashioned over. The cocktails I have had here have all been from their specials menu, but the place is worth a visit. If there are enough of you (well…12) it can feel like having your own private bar! Picture below courtesy of Pinterest…
I will always affectionately remember this place as my first ever Mojito. Great company (my extended family with cousins and uncles). They do three versions of their Mojito: the classic (Bacardi Superior), Spiced (with Bacardi Oakheart rum) or Golden (with Brugal Anejo Rum). It’s located on George Street in Edinburgh, meaning you can have pre-dinner drinks and then have dinner. The Dome is a stunning building for dinner, but also a great location for brunch (to cure the morning after the night before!) Image of the bar (courtesy of their website- click through to learn more) below.
This Japanese restaurant was a relatively frequent post-work haunt whilst I lived in Chicago and I always had the same thing: a Serenity. This is house-made lychee-cello, nigori sake, ruby red grapefruit juice, lemon juice and rose water. It is delicious and tastes of summer holidays- even when you’re drinking it during the freezing winter months. It is served with a lychee (pictured below from their website), and on more than one occasion I have mistaken this for being enough sustenance and have discovered (as walking down to the bathroom at Japonais) that, it isn’t. It’s ok though- their Pop-Corn Shrimp, served with spicy kochujan sauce and wasabi aioli, is enough to bring you back.
Kensington Roof Gardens, London
I have selected this one because I am a bit of a history geek: this place has a great story. Until 2012 it was the biggest roof garden in Europe and it was created between 1936 and 1938. There are 3 main gardens on the roof: a Spanish garden that is based upon the Alhambra, a Tudor style garden with archways, secret corners and hanging wisteria and an English woodland garden with ponds and flamingos. Find somewhere to sit- the gardens are heated so it doesn’t feel like you are in a cold, rainy Britain- and grab a cocktail. If you can filter out some of your fellow guests (it appeared to draw a certain crowd when I was there) and indulge in the fact you are in a garden, on a roof, in London, then any drink will taste great!
Dark and moody, downstairs in The Parlour is the perfect place for cocktails and chatting with good company. My personal choice here is a Champagne Smash with Small’s gin, lillet rose, mint and lemon but I have also spent a great night at their bar sipping on Kir Royales and munching on goats cheese. This place also serves a fairly epic steak. In fact, it’s so epic, it requires a separate post! An image of The Parlour can be found below from www.worldsbestbars.com
The Trader’s Hotel, Kuala Lumpur
Specifically the Sky Bar which has a pool in the centre of it, and the most stunning views of the Petronas Towers. I had a Raspberry Mojito. It was delicious, but this place isn’t so much about the quality of the drinks, but more about the experience! In fact, my younger sister went there and it proved to be the beginning of a heavy night- she blogged about it here
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