Eat & Drink
Originally published on Thursday, 12th June 2008
Great British Bar
A couple of years ago I predicted Canteen's rollout success… Back then, I never foresaw English cocktails becoming the tipple du jour, however. Now that best of British haunt is following up its second venue at the Royal Festival Hall with a hat trick in Baker Street. Perhaps in anticipation, their Great British Bar launches in Southbank and Spitalfields this summer, with cocktails devised by everyone's favourite mixologist, Tony Conigliaro (the magic behind Shochu Lounge).
The time is ripe for English flavours (because, in the current climate, don't Mai Tais and Cosmopolitans seem a tad gauche?). With clean, crisp tastes and oodles of punch, there's gin infused with British fruits and fruit flavoured pearl barley waters from recipes dating from 1860.
To accompany, there's packed lunch grub to graze on - think scotch egg, sausage rolls and Neal's Yard Ploughmans. Fabulous fun and deliciously old school, for further British summer nostalgia check out Bourne and Hollingsworth which serves it all up in Aunt Gertrude's crockery to boot.
Hours: Open Mon-Fri 8am-11pm • Sat-Sun 9am-11pm
Place: Royal Festival Hall, Belvedere Rd, SE1 8XX
Cost: £30
Web: canteen.co.uk
Book: 020 7520 4353