Lazy Bones - Old Red Cow - The Longroom Pub - Zetter Townhouse

Tuesday April 30th - My last outing of a very busy April (I count 50 places in total - possibly a bit ridiculous, but I was on holiday for a month) was a fairly quiet night in Farringdon.  I often get to the Barbican for a concert with time to kill so I was keen to investigate the area.  Libby and Cath arrived for the first stop at Lazy Bones - a stylish new bar that serves up slow-cooked meats alongside fun snacks and great drinks in a secluded square near the station.

Libby and I both went for 8 hour-cooked pork shoulder in pale ale, fennel, honey, and smoked paprika with a cabbage, carrot, fennel, beetroot, celeriac, radish and yoghurt slaw.  It sounds a bit over complicated but it was delicious.  The 6-hour cooked Brisket Chilli with homemade guacamole also looks fantastic.  Cath went for two sets of wings - Sweet and Spicy (ginger, honey, coriander, hot sauce and lime) and BBQ (with hickory smoke and chipotle chilli) - both tasty and very messy!  The accompanying cheesy chips could have been more cheesy.  Elsewhere there is a DIY popcorn station where you can add your own toppings, whilst to drink there are bottomless soft drinks and a range of craft beers and cocktails to keep you busy.  The only thing missing is a proper dessert menu.  I'm sure they could come up with some enticing options if they put their mind to it.  As it stands, they just offer a brownie! That is a small complaint however and I highly recommend heading over to Lazy Bones - the main meals are special.

Olly, having just finished work in Moorgate, joined us just as we were leaving.  The next stop was meant to be Bird of Smithfield - a new multi-floor restaurant from Alan Bird with rooftop and cellar bars.  We were hoping to go to the underground Birdcage bar (after they tweeted me to say it was open) but found it surrounded by Polish builders.  It is apparently now opening properly next Wednesday.  Instead we moved down the road to the Old Red Cow - a great little pub with lots of ales and ciders to choose from akin to Euston Tap and Holborn Whippet.  I like that the upstairs room has just as many beers on tap so that you don't have to continually go downstairs as is the case in so many pubs.  We just had one before moving on to another pub round the corner.

The Longroom Pub (next to Burger and Lobster) is another stylish little place (exposed brickwork, hipster lightbulbs - you know the score) with a whole host of beers on tap.  We had just missed a Grain Brewery tasting when we arrived, so I ordered a pint of Grain Bramble beer to make up for it.  The main reason to visit is their house cured salt beef.  I was tempted but still full up from Lazy Bones, though we did try to order the Salt Caramel Tart with Craft Beer Ice Cream' which had sadly run out.  There was a good crowd of people in considering it was a Tuesday night, and I will certainly go back to try some of the food.

Our final stop was Zetter Townhouse Cocktail Lounge - a Tony Corigliano (69 Colebrooke Row) bar with Bruno Loubet food attached to a hotel in a Georgian Townhouse in St. John's Square.  Olly had been earlier that week and needed sleep so headed home, leaving the three of us to push on the discreet front door (you will only see the ZTH marking when you get right up to it).  Inside is a mad living room with bookcases, an open fire and artwork all over the walls.  We waited by a bookshelf to be seated where Libby got attached to some scientific tomes.  Once seated, we went for some house cocktails - Cath's Milk Collins (gin with milk syrup and more) was interesting, and Libby's Flintlock (with gunpowder tea tincture pyrotechnics) was complexed and strong!  I went for The Richmond, a drinkable Manhattan with an apple honey twist.  It's a cosy, well-lit bar that would be perfect for a date, though they do slightly try to spoil the atmosphere with a bizarre club-beat infused swing soundtrack that doesn't quite fit.  

I have made some inroads in to the many places to go in Farringdon, but I will still need to return to Bird of Smithfield plus a whole host of places in Clerkenwell / Exmouth Market.  There is another 5cc Cocktail Club underneath the Exmouth Arms (read my take on the Shoreditch one here) plus the excellent Craft Beer Co pub and table-football bar, Café Kick, not too far away.  I have been busy this week with trips to places in Brixton, South Kensington and Rotherhithe still to report on.  Libby moved in to 5th place on Team List after Farringdon but might not stay there long!  Natalie and Sam continue to add points later in the week to consolidate the top two spots.  Happy Cinco de Mayo!