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.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

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

---------------------------------------------------------------------

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:

----------------------

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

----------------------

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 

Hill and Szrok - The Dove - President's Bar

Guest Post from Jane - Broadway Market is seeing something of an explosion in great places to eat and drink. New-comers include Peters & Co Gin Palace and Franco Manca, and The Cat & Mutton is close to reopening with food from Licky Chops & upstairs cocktails bar Pearl's from the guys at Ruby's.  The awkward journey for someone situated south of the river means I rarely venture up in that direction, but the recent opening of Hill & Szrok, a new butchers-come-restaurant, provided a good enough reason to jump on the ginger line and take a wander through the back streets of East London.

Offering raw meat by day and braised, roasted and potted meat by night, Hill and Szrok is a great addition to Broadway Market. Its clean and shiny tiled interior is hung with butcher shop instruments and a great wooden butcher's block table sits in the centre, serving as a communal dining table in the evening.

On arrival early one evening last week I met an instant convert - the friendly gentlemen sitting next to me soon informed me that he'd been in the night before with his wife for a ribeye steak and it was so good he couldn't keep away the next. Three courses later, we were inclined to agree.

We started with the H&S pate, pickled red onion and toast alongside roast broccoli, fennel, Cornish yarg and almonds. The pate was a coarse and substantial pot of meaty goodness, and sat nicely alongside the tart pickled red onion. The broccoli was a light and tangy reminder that spring is finally with us.

Meat unsurprisingly takes centre stage for the mains. We reluctantly sidestepped the pork chop and Hamroc Sausages (though individually priced at £2, it’s difficult to resist adding one to whatever else you order) and instead opted for the Murray Grey ribeye at £14.50 and the braised leg of mutton cut beef shoulder at £9.50. As you would expect from a butcher, the meat was tender and rich in flavor, with a fiery kick of black pepper working nicely with the accompanying lemon and pepper horseradish. 

A side of the seemingly fashionable oak leaf lacked any real excitement, but was a useful foil to the richness of the braised beef and midnight potatoes. 

A dessert of thick cream with stewed apples and cinnamon came in a small jar and was a light, fresh way to end an excellent meal. 

Paired with a lively, yet friendly, local atmosphere - many had been turned away by the time we left - this place is a gem for any carnivore looking for simple, tasty cooking of excellent produce.

As Hill and Szrok hadn't quite got their licence when we visited, we followed up our meal with a quick visit to The Dove, a couple of minutes stroll along Broadway Market. The place is cavernous inside with a welcoming wooden interior and an enticing menu of Belgian and British classics. A glass of Delirium Tremens is always difficult to resist when offered on draught, but it was only after ordering that we discovered the tome of Belgian beers that The Dove is known for. It’s easy to forget about the joys of Trappist brewing in these heady days of the London craft beer scene, but after being re-acquainted with the famous pink elephant, we made a mental note to revisit the other Flemish masters sometime soon.

Of a somewhat different character, I also managed to nip into President's Bar above the new Benito's Hat on Leadenhall Street this week. Straight past the burrito counter and up a few stairs the bar is (barely) hidden and while quite prettily decorated, it struggles to really distinguish itself from the restaurant downstairs. The Margaritas are well-made and affordable (starting from £5.00) but probably only worth the effort as part of a quick taco stop to refuel before heading somewhere more interesting. 

For those who are following my week on week whisky adventures (most recently Whisky Live), I have made a few trips to the Scotch Malt Whisky Society recently. I am always impressed; this place offers a tremendous whisky selection of bottles from individual casks at cask strength. The bottles have no distillery name on them only a mysterious number and an eloquent, if slightly unbelievable, description such as no.3.202 'doctor's surgeries and flower shops': 

"The aromatic nose displayed geranium, bog myrtle, aromatherapy oil, soy sauce, lavender and clove – but also bacon, lobster bisque, smoked chicken, seaweed, honey, doctors’ surgeries and flower shops. The neat palate was huge, mouth-filling and long-lasting, with a heavenly flavour combination of scorched heather sprigs dipped in honey, caramelized onions, charcoal, chutney and smoked fish. The reduced nose was hijacked by caraway seeds – gripe water, Kummel, salami with caraway, rye bread and stir-fried Chinese greens with soy sauce. The palate became sweeter – sugar-coated pistachios and sweet barbecued ribs with echoes of salted sea biscuits, lavender and tar."

Unfortunately this place is members only but each member is allowed to take up to three guests.