Steam & Rye

Monday 18th November - Monday nights are normally kept free for some much needed 5-a-side based exercise, but when Kelly Brook (indirectly) comes calling, you just can't say no.

I was lucky enough to be "cordially and vigr'ously invited" along to the private launch party of Steam & Rye in the old Bank of New York in Leadenhall Street, ahead of their public opening tonight (Wednesday 20th November). Steam & Rye is a new prohibition inspired bar from Nick House (Mahiki, Whisky Mist, Bodo's Schloss) and Kelly Brook (national treasure / the reason I watched Big Breakfast). Here's what they have to say:

'It was love at first sight when I set eyes upon the Bank of New York, and immediately the concept sprung to life in my head. In a few seconds, an amalgamation of movies ranging from ‘Hugo’ to ‘Gangs of New York’ started to take form and I knew then that I had to make Steam & Rye a reality.' - Nick House

'I have always been inspired by the glamour and opulence of 1940s Americana, and am thrilled to be collaborating on this project with Nick House. This is my first venture into nightlife hospitality!' - Kelly Brook

After dropping off our coats in the attractive reception area, we moved straight into the Main Hall and Station Gardens which is modelled on New York's Grand Central Station.  One side of the room is taken up by the impressive bar and a stage which will offer live music every night. The other side is taken up by the Eastern Pacific Steam Train with its cosy dining booths.

On to the drinks - we got ourselves in line at the bar, and had a look over the menu whilst trying to work out whether it was a totally open bar, or just selected free drinks.  This problem was quickly solved when one of the barmen held up a couple of cocktails and shouted "Who wants two of these?". We took him up on his offer and found ourselves drinking two Kansas City Shuffle - 5 rums, lime, port & grenadine, topped with peanuts!  After that dangerously drinkable number, we moved on to the Dead Man's Boot (served in a smoking pair of shoes) and a Mile High (garnished with a page of 50 Shades of Grey in paper aeroplane form).

Kansas City Shuffle, Dead Man's Boot, and a page of 50 Shades of Grey

The menus were a big hit with their clever pull & reveal system for each cocktail or meal.  If you can't be bothered with that, everything is listed on the back, but I'm sure you won't be able to resist a quick go.

We were spoiled by their incredible food platters all evening. Steaks, lobster rolls, calamari, shrimp, BBQ wings, pulled pork sliders - classic Americana fare executed superbly. The menu has been overseen by Andrew McLeish from the Michelin starred Chapter One restaurant in Kent. Every Monday and Tuesday will be all you can eat Shrimp or Smoked BBQ Ribs for £14.95.  Ice creams were also excellent - go for the £18.50 Mega Sundae if you have any space left after all the shrimp.  

Back to the drinks - we moved on to a Mississippi Lullaby (served in a flaming fire bucket) and a Yippee Ki Yay (a sparkling stick of dynamite - these can be ordered in a bunch of 6).  Considering the theatrics involved with many of the drinks, the prices are very reasonable.  Mary's delicious lychee & passionfruit concoction is only £8.50, and is bathed in blue flames before your very eyes by the bartenders.  If that doesn't take your fancy, why not order the whole of Mount Rushmore?

The Great Gatsby meets Wild West escapism has been brilliantly realised, both in the decor and the drinks.  They brought in Jonathan Lee, an experienced production designer, to get the look they wanted, and left the bar in the capable hands of Andy Mil (of London Cocktail Club fame). After grabbing another quirky cocktail, we decided to move upstairs to Jonathan Lee's most impressive room, the Cargo Hold.

The Cargo Hold feels like a film set, crammed with all sorts of luggage belonging to the fictional American Railroad Titan, Beamish Bettenbaum, and his wife Dolores.  This will be the VIP room, but try and have look around even if you can't get a drink here.  It is a wonderful, calmer alternative to the Main Hall, which you have a great aerial view of.  

View of Main Hall from Cargo Hold

Finally, we made our way down to the basement to reach the First Class Carriage bar.  Every room had its own personality, and this is where I will probably spend the most time when I return.  The First Class Carriage has a long, luxurious bar opposite intimate leather-lined booths, all beautifully lit.

We set ourselves up at the bar (always the best place to sit) and watched a mixology maestro whip up all sorts of ridiculous cocktails.  If you are a sharing cocktail fan, Steam & Rye have you got you covered.  It's not currently on the menu but there was a ludicrously big shark's head drinking vessel lying around.

Maize Balls - best name on the menu

Something creamy and a Five Dollar Shake with a Fab lolly sticking out

As it was a Monday night, we dragged ourselves outside before we got too carried away.  Steam & Rye is going to be open Monday to Saturday from 4pm-3am at the moment, though it is going to be open more regularly for lunch in early 2014.  It will be also open earlier from 9th-13th and 16th-20th December.

I can't recommend it highly enough - the drinks were fun, the food was delicious, live music is always a bonus, and they have nailed the 1940s American vibe.  The range of rooms takes it to another level, and there is more to come in the form of Beamish's Study, which isn't yet finished.  Get down there tonight for the public launch which should be a crazy party.

Tonteria - Barts - Goat

Friday 3rd May - Friday started with an innocent walk down King's Road in the sun with my friend Mary.  The plan was to do some window shopping and maybe buy a jacket but Mary's bus took forever, most jackets cost £200 and the shops started to close so it quickly turned in to another List evening instead.  A quick check of my map told me that Tonteria and Barts were nearby, and so at about 7pm we wandered over to Tonteria in Sloane Square.

Tonteria is an underground Mexican bar/nightclub depending on what time you go, with better than average bar food available too (doesn't everywhere serve Squid Ceviche?).  It's another Guy Pelly club (Mahiki, Whisky Mist) which isn't normally my idea of a good night out, but when Tonteria is in laid-back bar mode, it's a great little place.  Look up to see the Tonteria Express which chugs around serving tequila to VIPs - a seriously moustachioed barman gave it a lap for us.  You can order a sharing cocktail that comes in one of the train carriages though it is apparently broken at the moment.

There are numerous silly sharing cocktails from Lucha Libre masks to Mayan pyramids, but there are more sensible Margaritas and Mexican beers (Negra Modelo always goes down well) if you want to leave with some money to spare.  If you have £5,000 you can buy yourself their most expensive bottle of Reserva del Alma tequila.  On the menu it says that there only two bottles, but when we asked our barman he explained that there was now only one left because one of his colleagues unforunately smashed the other!  The Sloanes started to arrive as we were finishing our drink so we decided to move on.  Arrive early for a fun, atmospheric drink and stay later if you can bear the clientele!

Our next stop was Barts near South Kensington - The "Worst Kept Secret" bar hidden somewhere on Sloane Avenue.  I will not reveal the exact location as finding it is half the fun!  Mary and I both had different Google Maps results for the location so we snooped around the street for a bit, trying to decide which unmarked door might lead us to the bar.  After watching a shifty looking lady leave from a blue door which seemed to match Mary's location for the bar, we decided to buzz.  We were instantly let in which led us to believe we were in the right place.  Seconds later, however, we discovered that we had just been let in the chefs' back entrance for a Japanese restaurant.  One kind chef pointed us in the right direction and we were more successful on our second attempt.

We hadn't booked so we weren't sure whether there would be space, and some reports online suggest that you might have difficulty getting in unless you are in a girl heavy group, but we were welcomed and given a table to sit for as long as we could hold on to it. It's a lively little bar with a fun dressing up box and all sorts covering every inch of the walls.  Barts is part of the same group as Bunga Bunga (Berlusconi karaoke pizzeria) and Maggies (Thatcher themed club where they play her speeches in the toilets) so the ridiculous sharing cocktails served in giant teapots are no surprise.  What is a surprise though is that they serve Samuel Adaams beer by the Stein!  I'm sold.  Where most bars of this ilk would serve up some average bottled beer for £4.50, Barts give you a 1 litre Stein of premium beer for under £9!  Natalie joined us as we messed around with various Cinco de Mayo themed items from the dressing-up box.  See the rather special Tequila bottle outfit below.  It wasn't a crazy night as two of us were working early the next day, but it was a very successful unplanned jaunt around South Ken and Sloane Square.  Now I know where Barts is (and that they have a solid beer option), I will return confidently with more friends!  Watch out for two new bars from the same team that are opening soon.  Mr. Foggs is a Phileas Fogg themed Mayfair bar opening on May 22nd, and Disco will apparently be 70s Manhattan, reborn in Soho.

Sunday 5th May - Just a quick mention for the new Goat restaurant that has opened in the old Goat in Boots site on Fulham Road.  It's apparently a "New York & Italian restaurant and cocktail bar" so when I popped in with my friend Harriet on Sunday we had to have a bit of both.  There is a cosy bar upstairs where you can have a pre/post dinner drink - our cocktails were excellent, and the well put together list makes choosing a drink a difficult choice.  My Bresaola based pizza and Harriet's calamari were also delicious.  Why are you talking about a nice restaurant I hear you cry?  Because there is a secret concealed upstairs, of course!  Due to short staffing that night it was sadly shut, but after a quick word with front of house they agreed to show us around anyway.  Hidden away is a tiny bar called the Chelsea Prayer Room complete with unbranded "speakeasy" spirit bottles behind the bar, and menus tucked away in hymn books.  Our host seemed to think we had friends in high places as he showed us a secret exit that leads straight to the street in case any of our friends need to avoid being seen.  We tried to play along and I think just about got away with it.  If anyone knows anyone famous that would like to go to a bar in Chelsea with me, please get in touch.  I will hopefully report back on it soon once I have had actually had a drink there! Head along to the restaurant anyway as the food is fantastic, and see if you can sneak yourself in upstairs.  Thanks to the staff for taking the time to show us around.

I have (for the first time!) scrapped my normal chronological order so that I could mention Goat in the same place as the two other places in Chelsea.  There is still a post to come on a great day out around London Bridge and Rotherhithe on Saturday 4th.  I have also added new links to the right hand side of the blog (though not if you are viewing it on a mobile) so that you can choose old posts that cover particular areas of London - I hope some find this useful!