Joyeux Bordel

Today's post features an exclusive sneak preview of Experimental Group's brand new late night London bar which launched this week in EC2.

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Joyeux Bordel - Translation : Happy Mess (or brothel - take your pick)

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The Experimental Group is much more than just a clandestine Chinatown cocktail bar with a hard-to-please doorman.  Since opening up the original Experimental Cocktail Club (ECC) in Paris in 2007, the group have rapidly expanded and now operate 13 sites including ECC New York, Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels in Paris, NY and London, Beef Club and Fish Club restaurants in Paris, and even an Experimental Beach in Ibiza. 

On top of that, last month they added Le Grand Pigalle Paris to that list - their first foray in to the hotel business. Quite by chance, I was in the City of Light at the weekend and squeezed in a visit to Le Grand Pigalle hotel bar, but that's a long story...

Anyway, back in London, their 14th site has just opened at 147 Curtain Road in Old Street, and it's a boozy basement number called Joyeux Bordel.  

Now what can I tell you about it? Oh, well you can make reservations. Just send an email to reservation@joyeuxbordel.com - the desk is open Mon-Sat until 5pm.

Opening times might help too:

Monday - Wednesday: 6pm - 2am

Thursday - Saturday: 6pm - 3am

Sunday: 6pm – midnight

Hooray for late night opening hours, there aren't nearly enough places of worth open after midnight.

Once you've made it past the doorman, you'll make your way down to a spacious but cosy candlelit cocktail bar. I'd always opt for a seat at the bar myself - this is where you'll find Adrien Russotto, Joshua Esposito and Florian Dubois working their magic, along with some ECC alumni most probably.  If you do go for table service, Berliner Sabrina or Finnish/Egyptian Rameses from Helsinki will look after you.

The full menu has just been released:

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Bric-A-Brac - Yellow Chartreuse, Lillet Blanc, Elderflower Cordial, Pepper Mix, Sage, Lemon & Champagne - £10

Picotin - Lemon, Aquavit OP Anderson, Suze, Cocchi Americano, Luxardo Maraschino - £10

Black Beard - Appleton 7, Smith & Cross Rum, Homemade Falernum, Aperol, Fernet Branca, Grapefruit Zest - £11

É Nossa - Cachaca Yaguara, Lime, Sugar, Peychauds & Peach Bitters, Ginger Ale - £11

Saint Germain Des Prés - Hendricks Gin, St.Germain, Lime Juice, Elderflower Cordial, Egg White, Spiced Tincture, Cucumber Juice - £10.50

Tommy's Cut - Vida Mezcal, Agave, Lime, Sweet Vermouth, Pink Grapefruit - £10.50

Jolly Mess - Vulson White Rhino Rye, Eaux de vie de Poire, Antica Formula, Cardamom Syrup, Mozart Dark Chocolate Liqueur - £10.50

Softly Softly - Suze, Dolin Dry, Hendricks Gin, Chilli Thai Tincture, Olive - £9.50

Sparrows Can't Sing - Madras-infused Vodka, Applejack, Strega, Lemon, Vanilla Syrup, Simple Syrup, Coriander - £9.50

Something Italian - Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Cynar, Amaro Ciociaro, Lime, Ginger, Soda - £10

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Picotin was the pic'o'the'bunch (new low for me there), bringing complex flavours together to form a satisfying thirst quencher. Second place goes to Tommy's Cut, a subtle twist on a Tommy's Margarita that you'll finish in a few gulps.  Jolly Mess is another winner if you like your cocktails boozy.

Of course, you can always go off menu, and I unsurprisingly went in an agave direction with a superb Mezcal Negroni (Vida, Calle 23 Tequila, Barolo Chinato, Rabarbaro) and an equally excellent Mezcal Highball creation with ginger ale.  I also highly recommend Fabiano's classy Americano twist with Belsazar Red and a touch of sea salt - apparently a splash of bourbon doesn't hurt either.

Mezcal Negroni - Del Maguey Vida, Calle 23 Tequila, Barolo Chinato, Rabarbaro

Picotin - Lemon, Aquavit OP Anderson, Suze, Cocchi Americano, Maraschino Luxardo

To soak up the booze, they have sensibly put together a few small plate options including some delicious Rillette, Roasted Ham and Cooked Ham from local butchers and restaurant Hill & Szrok, plus an Androuet Three Cheeses Selection. London has been slow to pick up on the high end and late night bar snacks trade - hopefully more will follow suit soon.

If you've had your fill of cocktails, cheese, and charcuterie, you might want to investigate Joyeux Bordel's back bar.  Start off with a taste of ECC partner Xavier Padovani's Vulson White Rhino Rye which was only released in January - read more here.  In the early part of the week, you might find Xavier & co. pouring £5 tasters of extremely rare spirits from his vintage selection which they've decided to stop hoarding and start sharing.  A late 1950s Grand Marnier was cracked open this week.

On top of all of the fine food and drink, Joyeux Bordel is also going to be a hotspot for DJs, with Daniel Willis from The Clove Club heading up the music.  The inoffensive DJ booth is part of the furniture rather than a garish corner feature, which is always a good sign.

Sound good? I thought so.  Go and say hello from 6pm tonight. Happy Brothel everyone!

www.joyeuxbordel.com

Email - reservation@joyeuxbordel.com 

Caravan - Blackfoot - House of Ho - Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels

Guest Post - Wednesday 11th December

Last week, whilst Matt was experiencing The Last Word, the opening of new pork restaurant Blackfoot took me to Exmouth Market.

As I arrived well ahead of my table booking I decided to stop off in Caravan for a coffee and a cheeky, pre-dinner beer. I was pleasantly surprised, the coffee was delicious and, sat at the bar watching the passing custom, whilst others sat down for a full blown meal down in the restaurant area, I whiled away an hour with no trouble at all. They had a Beavertown IPA on tap and Camden Hells Lager (which made the time go a little quicker...).  Caravan opened a larger second site in the old grain house in King's Cross in 2012.

Moving on to the main event, I popped down the street to Blackfoot. Initially I was unsure, the decor and layout is typical of many recent openings; tiled white walls, candles, booths and a basic bar. Nothing to note there. However, glancing at the menu, there is more to grab one's attention. There's pork of all varieties. Smoked, Burger-ed, Vietnamese, Spanish, Chopped and more. We went all out and filled up on pig.

From the Raw and Preserved options the Pork Rillettes were of distinction - succulent pork with toasted sourdough and gherkins. From the mains I would recommend The Long Smoke; smoked belly with pepper, treacle and star anise - sweet and peppery, full of flavour and terrifically well cooked. We also tried the Iberico Pressa, an unusual Spanish delicacy, a proper tender chunk of meat served pink. Delicious.

Not only are the offerings here unusual, I certainly don't know anywhere else that has such a piggy focus or range (apart from Wiggies), but the quality is fantastic as well. This place gets my recommendation for providing an interesting, unique menu and top notch cooking. Mention should also be made of the friendly and enthusiastic staff.  If you are passing by, pop to the counter to grab a takeaway £5 roll with pork loin & belly and salsa verde:

£5 takeaway pork loin & belly rolls with salsa verde at Blackfoot

From Blackfoot to Babyfoot, we finished off the evening with a visit to Café Kick, opposite. Matt mentioned it earlier in the year here, it remains a European style bar dedicated to football of the outdoor and table variety. Great for lovers of the sport(s).

Exmouth Market has plenty more for us to try out on future visits.  The Exmouth Arms and hidden 5CC, Moro & Morito, and the relatively new Paesan currently top the to-do list.

Tuesday 17th December

For my second soft opening of December (yes I fully intend to be two stone heavier by January) I visited Bobby Chin's House of Ho (no jokes) with TfL girls, Gemma and Amie.

Photo Credit - Ming Tang-Evans

The cheerful Bobby Chinn

Greeted with fervour, we were graciously removed of our coats, scarves, hats and umbrellas and I started to get concerned about the potential cost of the menu. However, on being seated I was happily surprised at the reasonable pricing - £4-14 for a dish.

Lighting was limited with arrays of candles, glimmers of glass and minimalist decor - all blacks, reds and oranges but as we were seated in front of window, I felt it created a good dining atmosphere. Understated, it allowed the food to take centre stage.

'Light and Raw' was the first section of the menu, which presented a range of delights. Duck 'a la banana' was a particular pleasure, light and crunchy with hints of sweetness and succulent marinaded duck breast. Also a hit was the mushrooms with sauce, flavoursome lemongrass chicken wings and pork ribs.

Seafood Ceviche & Smokey Aubergine

Sweet & Sour Vietnamese Bouillabaisse, Duck 'a la Banana', Crab Pomelo Salad, 72-hour Apple-Smoked Pork
Clockwise from Top Left - Photo credit - Ming Tang-Evans

We followed this with the monkfish, Vietnamese chicken curry, shaking beef and morning glory. My shaking beef was cooked to perfection and had a definite Vietnamese twist.

Finally, we couldn't leave without trying the full complement of desserts: the Molten Marou chocolate cake and the Crème Brûlée.

Cocktails, wines, beers and all the trimmings filled the drinks menu. We paired our dinner with wine, which was perfect, but I'll be heading back to try the cocktails another time.

Overall, this restaurant is a well-received addition to the Soho dining scene. It offers a classy, affordable and tangy addition, standing in stark contrast to the plethora of burger, pizza and 'quick eats' in the area (N.B. The List is very partial to the likes of Honest Burgers, Pizza Pilgrims and Herman Ze German - there's room for everyone!).

Wednesday 18th December

Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels is a cosy wine bar with a Parisian sense of style from the clever French folk behind Experimental Cocktail Club. They already have a Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels in Paris, along with 3 fantastic cocktail bars. The London branch feels like a stylish living room with sofas and armchairs in bold greens and swirls, and a wooden panelled staircase in one corner but also manages to maintain the atmosphere of the best cocktail bars in London; think Zetter Townhouse and 69 Colebrooke Row.

Wines are sold by the bottle and the glass (from what looks like the latest in wine-technology fridges). The wines themselves are pretty interesting, focusing on little known, smaller vineyards. There are up and coming whites from Spain and reds from Georgia, not your average findings. There was also sherry, port and champagne on offer but for those who aren't fans of the grape there's nothing else on offer except some overpriced water - don't be tempted to say yes when offered still or sparkling. I fell into that trap far too easily.

They also do food, a selection of cheeses, cold meats and appetisers. I didn't try any on my visit as I'd just finished a large meal at Yauatcha but the sight and smell of it all was hugely tempting, even on a full stomach.

They have also just opened a "gourmet delicatessen" of sorts, a few of doors down from the bar - see below for some sneak preview shots.

Guest post written by @JaneSlocombe

CVS have opened a "gourmet delicatessen" a couple of doors down