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 

Pachamama - The Bayou - BYOC

Thursday 16th October - Now, I've never been to Peru, but I did go to Lima a couple of weeks ago.

On top of that, I have now encountered Pachamama ("Mother Earth") herself, so that must make me a bit of an expert, no?  

That just leaves Andina, Lima Floral, Coya and the 10 other Peruvian foodie hangouts that have probably opened whilst I was writing this sentence.   I'm not complaining.

Across the room, my well-travelled flatmate reminds me that Elephant & Castle was dishing out Latin American cuisine long before Ceviche & co. turned up.  It's probably worth brushing up on your Spanish before venturing to the likes of Sabor Peruano & Emanuel though.

Pachamama just pipped Senor Ceviche to the finishing post, opening up in Marylebone a week before their Peruvian friends arrived in Soho.  Blink and you'll miss the tiny entrance on Thayer Street. Downstairs is no small affair though with 120 covers and a spacious bar, neatly described by Hot Dinners as looking like "a faded colonial home, lived in by an eccentric Peruvian family".

Small Peruvian plates with a British twist beckoned, but first they had to pass the Pisco test.  Papa's Pisco (Lemon, egg white, Amargo Chuncho & Pisco - £7) got the thumbs up, though it wouldn't be out of place on the dessert menu.  Other interesting concoctions (all £8.50) include Piñamama (Pineapple-infused Pisco, Dead Rabbit Orinoco bitters, orange curaçao, maraschino cherry), Fig Flores (Blanco Tequila, homemade fig preserve, lime, vanilla syrup, pistachio), and Comrade Artemio (Rum, Campari, homemade mandarin-vermouth marmalade).

It took me a little while to notice that we were seated next to a DJ - not something you expect in a restaurant, but they manage to pull it off here.  A little lower lighting would have suited the music, but there was a real buzz in the air.

Our cheerful waiter recommended ordering three savoury plates each, which is usually code for "two will do".  Ceviche arrived first:

- Wild Cornish sea bass, samphire, radish, sweet potato, tiger’s milk - £10

- Devonshire sea trout, watercress, beetroot, bleeding tiger’s milk - £9

- Squid, prawns, mussels, culantro, palm sugar, devil’s milk - £9

We were accurately warned that dishes would be "a little bit tiny" but I can't fault the cooking.  The seabass with crunchy radish and sweet potato was a particular highlight for me.

Wild Cornish sea bass, samphire, radish, sweet potato, tiger's milk

All the Ceviche

Soon our table was bursting with plates from the Robata and Josper Grill sections, plus one salad for good measure. 

- Flamed Octopus, purple potato, capers, crispy shallots - £8

- Blackened herb-fed chicken, grilled corn, lime, wild oregano (2pcs) - £8

- Josper-fired artichokes, purple-sprouting broccoli, fennel, smoked aji, Berkswell cheese - £7

- Crispy lamb belly, miso, green aji sauce - £12

- “Duck on rice” - £10

The smoky octopus was a great success, but in truth everything disappeared equally quickly.  Much like at Arabica Bar & Kitchen in Borough, the menu is packed with winning dishes but the bill does mount up quite quickly.  A table of four will get you a taste of a fair amount, though some of the plates struggle to stretch to four decent mouthfuls.  Perhaps Mama's tasting menu at £35/head is the way to go.

Enjoying the atmosphere, we stuck around for dessert:

- Chocolate fondant, brittle, salted peanut ice cream - £6.50

- Almond milk panna cotta, passion fruit, white chocolate - £6.50

I only ordered the latter as everyone else ordered the chocolate fondant, but was pleasantly surprised by the result.  I'm not normally one for wobbly puddings, but this example of the genre had a bit more body to it, and passion fruit and white chocolate make a great team.  As for the chocolate fondant, Angharad was almost reduced to tears of joy, bringing back memories of a similar effort at Coya.

Almond milk panna cotta, passion fruit, white chocolate

Pachamama has all the right ingredients to become a big hit.  Three hours flew by in their capable hands, and I would happily return for some more ceviche and emotional chocolate fondants.

Tuesday 28th October - From South America to the Deep South - Inverness Street in Camden is home to The Bayou, a new hotspot for creole cooking and live music.

We started with some cocktails (on happy hour before 7pm) from their standalone bar.  Bacon & Maple Old Fashioned went down very easily and was slightly more successful than an Espresso twist on a Pisco Sour which was an acquired taste.  Hard shakes are also available though you may want to wait til dessert for those.

Bacon & Maple Old Fashioned (photo from Bayou website)

Manager Jonathan saw us struggling to come to a decision on the food front and took charge, offering to bring us a selection of his favourite dishes instead.  He returned a few minutes later with BBQ Shrimps & Biscuit, and Fried Calamari with Hush Puppies.  Now, if you haven't done your Creole homework, this is when you turn to the "Southern Terminology" section of Bayou's menu:

Biscuit - yeast raised fluffy flour balls similar to unsweetened scones

Hush Puppies - fried cornmeal batter

Got it? Good.  The shrimp (or king prawns) were smothered in a tasty sauce of white wine, garlic and chillies, and were cutely presented in a pan.  Meanwhile "Creole" squid with a delicate & delicious batter was served with spring onions, chillies & lime chipotle.  

I realise I've used the word creole too many times already - for those of you that aren't familiar with the term, it is a style of cuisine from Louisiana that brings together many influences including French, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian cooking.  We're talking lots of beans, rice and citrus - think Jambalaya, Gumbo, Catfish, Collard Greens, Beignets etc.  

At this point you should watch this YouTube video on New Orleans that I found on Bayou's Facebook page from a highly entertaining series called "Fuck, That's Delicious" - email readers will need to head to the full site to see the video.  Warning: NSFW - there are expletives every other word.

Still with me? For mains, Jonathan brought us a heartwarming pot of Shrimp & Chicken Jambalaya (similar to paella) and a heartstopping Bayou Platter - 3 smoked barbecued chicken wings, half a rack of Bourbon ribs, skinny fries, coleslaw and biscuits.  Just as the moreish meat was falling off the bone and in to my face, a pianist took the stage to set the mood.  

Full but not finished, we made our own decisions for dessert, opting for a Banana Pie with Almond Biscotti, and a classic Mississippi Mud Pie.  Both plates were rather photogenic, but they were soon empty.

Despite not being full, there was a fun atmosphere at The Bayou on a Tuesday night.  I can see this being a top spot for Christmas parties this year for locals.  They have competition from the likes of Lockhart & The Fat Bear on the food front, and NOLA rules the New Orleans cocktail roost, but there's still plenty of room for creole cuisine in London.

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A short walk in the direction of Mornington Crescent (I win!) brought us to BYOC Camden, the third outpost for this conceptual bar chain that actually deserves the oft misused "speakeasy" moniker. Long term readers may remember my write-up of the Covent Garden site - I loved the atmosphere and the premise, but the bartending just wasn't up to scratch.  As that's such an easy problem to fix, I was more than happy to give BYOC another go.

I should explain, BYOC stands for Bring Your Own Cocktail.  What they really mean is Bring Your Own Spirits, Liqueurs, Fizz, Beer (BYOSLFB?) - don't turn up with hip-flask Negronis and jugs of Mint Julep, that's their job.  For £25, you get 2 hours of dedicated creative mixology from the bartenders at your station, making use of the booze you have brought and the treasure trove of homemade syrups, bitters, juices etc that they keep stashed away behind the bar.  

In Covent Garden, there were four tiny tables and a bloke with a trolley.  In Camden, there is room for 50 cocktail lovers in an atmospheric drinking den complete with incense, blackjack & roulette tables, and 20s jazz.  Our hosts for the evening, Jill & Davide, were suitably dressed for the part.

N.B. All but one of the photos below were provided by BYOC - my camera couldn't cope with the darkness on this occasion.

Now, I'm a bit of a hoarder of alcohol, especially miniatures, so the BYOC system suits me down to the ground.  Angharad popped a bottle of Dalwhinnie 15 on the table.  I whipped out Johnnie Walker Black Label, Laphroaig 10, Moonshine Kid Dogs Nose Gin, Angostura 5yo Rum, Luxardo Maraschino, Grand Marnier, Ocult Pisco, Cava, Port, Mozart Chocolate Bitters and the world's tiniest Angostura Bitters, just in case they weren't allowed anything with even a hint of booze.  A slight improvement on the couple next to us who had brought Smirnoff & Bacardi...

Jill set to work, with the occasional input from Davide who was looking after a larger group to our left.  Here's how the next two hours went:

- Trinidad Sour - a twist on a Pisco Sour with 1/3 Angostura Bitters and a homemade shrub

- Blue Moon - an Aviation twist with Dogs Nose Gin, Maraschino & a blue curacao syrup

- Chocolate Orange Old Fashioned with Dalwhinnie, Mozart, Grand Marnier & a dash of almond

- Another Aviation twist, this time with cucumber and cassis

- Passionfruit Daiquiri with a subtle chilli kick using Angostura 5yo

- Laphroaig Sour - bold, smokey, divisive, awesome

- Pisco Sour with a hibiscus shrub to finish

Davide in action

They have a great array of glassware and garnishes that were lacking in Covent Garden, and they aren't afraid to mix it up with punch bowls and Tiki drinks depending on the crowd.  Jill clocked early on that we were serious about our drinks, and kept things strong & sour.  It may be different when they are at capacity, but the service was efficient and personal at the same time.  And, as it turns out it was Jill's first shift - she absolutely smashed it.

One dimly lit photo from me - proof of our visit!

Sadly we eventually had to venture back out to the 21st Century but I should expect it won't be too long before we time travel again.  Now they have top bartenders, BYOC is a unique and fantastic London bar experience that everyone should get on board with.  And help them out - take some interesting booze along, you'll still have plenty to take home with you afterwards and your cocktails will be all the better for it.

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Whilst I'm on a Camden roll, I should just point you in the direction of the Camden Town Brewery fun going on next week (3-9 November). To mark the launch of a new India Hells Lager (an IPA lager hybrid), they are running a week long Temple of IHL popup at 205 Royal College St, NW1, with different events everyday.  Scroll down for more details (and a quirky stop motion animation for non-email readers):

"IPA is resurrected as Lager! Join us for a week of celebration at our pop-up Temple of IHL. Tickets available now.

On the first day… Monday 3rd November

BLESSED BE THE HOME BREWERS: Calling all home brewers! Learn how we make IHL and help us brew a mini batch on our 50L pilot brew kit. Plus, bring along a bottle of your own brew for our Camden Beer Gods to taste! 6pm for a 6:30pm start. Tickets are £10 and include beer and pizza. Get yours now.

On the second day… Tuesday 4th November

OUR GOOD LORD LAGER: Camden Brewing Director Alex Troncoso preaches the good word of lager with the aim of bringing non-believers over to the light side. You will leave converted. 7pm for a 7:30pm start, £10 tickets, including 3 beers. Reserve here.

On the third day… Wednesday 5th November

THE ART OF CRAFT: Beer & Illustration, a match made in heaven. Hallowed designers and illustrators ponder the liquid muse. 7pm for a 7:30pm start, £10 tickets, including beer and an IHL t-shirt. Book now.

On the fourth day… Thursday 6th November

FULL MOON PARTY: We celebrate the coming of IHL with an evening of bacchanalian beer worship open to a chosen few. Buy tickets to any of our other events this week and you’ll automatically be entered in a prize draw to win a pair of invites. 7-11pm, guest list only.

On the fifth day… Friday 7th November

THE FEAST OF IHL: Eat, drink and be merry with a four-course Sabbath banquet created to glorify IHL! Praise be! Chef and menu to be announced later this week, spaces are limited so register your interest now.

On the sixth day… Saturday 8th of November

FESTIVAL OF CANS: We come together with our brothers in aluminium to celebrate all things can-shaped. Tastings throughout the day with beers from Beavertown, Brewdog, Fourpure, Ska, Oskar Blues and more! 12-6pm, Free entry.

On the seventh day… Sunday 9th of November

DAY OF REST."

London Whisky Weekender - Peg + Patriot - East London Liquor Company

Sunday 18th May - What's better than a boozy Sunday? A gloriously sunny boozy Sunday, that's what.

The sun well and truly got its hat on last Sunday, so I skipped out of my flat in my finest pair of shorts and made my way to Bethnal Green where local Taro was waiting, sunglasses at the ready.  We ambled up Cambridge Heath Road to the impressive Oval Space, home to London Whisky Weekender for 3 days.

Oval Space in Hackney

We attached our wristbands and collected some under "under the counter" tokens (for tasters of extra special drams) before making our way into the main room where all of the distillery stalls were set up. Diving straight in at the deep end, we started by working through most of the wonderfully peaty Laphroaig range, including the brand new (and very approachable) Laphroaig Select.  I used one of my magic tokens to try some of the fantastic 18 Yr which didn't disappoint.

We ran into Amanda from Berry Bros. & Rudd (BBR) who pointed us in the direction of their Islay malts and some pretty funky rums - the 10 Yr Fijian Rum took us both by surprise.  BBR have got quite a collection going now with the likes of No.3 Gin, Pink Pigeon Rum & King's Ginger to their name.  Time for them to open a bar?

We continued to dip in and out, sipping wee drams from the likes of Auchentoshan, Glen Garioch, Bowmore and Old Pulteney (a personal favourite), whilst appreciating some superb blues and rock & roll bands that were centre stage for a music heavy Sunday session.

There was plenty else to do on site, with Jameson taking over the Pickle Factory space serving up Jameson Picklebacks, cocktails & a BBQ, as well as more drinks in the Oval Space terrace bar, and street food out in the courtyard.

Deeney's and Original Fry Up Material both impressed with their haggis wraps & smokey burgers. Deeney's can be found at various markets including Broadway Market just round the corner from Oval Space, whereas Original Fry Up Material are currently residing in The Three Compasses pub in Dalston.

Taro enjoying an Original Fry Up material burger

It's a shame that Whisky Weekender isn't on every weekend, but Oval Space will be running many more events throughout the summer and opening up their attractive terrace bar.  Keep your eyes on Whisky Lounge who organised this party, as they have lots of great ideas up their sleeves. 

Oval Space terrace bar

Going strong, Taro and I wandered over to Patriot Square in Bethnal Green, home to the Town Hall Hotel which has recently mixed things up with an exciting new bar & restaurant double act.  

It used to be the home to Viajante with head chef Nuno Mendes, who's now having a grand old time with all the celebs at the [insert overhyped or sensational] Chiltern Firehouse.  In its place comes The Typing Room with Jason Atherton alumnus Lee Westcott in charge of the kitchen.  I have only heard good things so far, but I hope to check it out myself soon.

Anyway, we were already full of haggis & beef so we only had eyes for Peg + Patriot, the new bar from the Talented Mr Fox team.  TMF is one of my favourite spots for a cocktail in London, so expectations were very high.

They toyed with the name Peg & Riot before deciding on Peg & Patriot, with peg referring to an informal unit of alcohol measurement.  

We settled down at the bar and cast our eyes over a bonkers cocktail menu that features salt beef beigels, coal oil and irn bru.  They distill all sorts of bizarre liquids on a little piece of kit that sits at the back of the bar, including the Dog's Nose Hop Gin which they sell under their Moonshine Kid moniker. Garnishes receive similar levels of attention with addictive pieces of fried olive brine & beeswax coated cherries the pick of the bunch.

Distilling timetable in the background

Fried Olive Brine

Beeswax Coated Cherries

We started with two summery drinks - a playful Pimm's style Riot Cup Number One made with White Port, O'Clock Sugar, Cucumber Phosphate & Ginger Ale, and an exotic Pina Colada inspired Barley Legal with Burnt Pineapple Rum, Buttered Banana, Barley, Cultured Coconut and Lime.  Both refreshing & refreshingly different at the same time.

Ally Martin from Talented Mr Fox was a few seats away doing some quality control Sunday drinking.

Bartender & Martin Miller's Gin brand ambassador Ally Martin - boss man at Talented Mr Fox, One Leicester Street

My cunning plan to overlap my enablers failed as Caroline was running an hour late and Taro had to dash off to a concert in town.  Luckily, two more drinks enthusiasts turned up for a drink and we tried a few more concoctions.  Rich Woods (Cartizze / Duck & Waffle) and Sean Ware (Brand Ambassador for Bombay Spirits) joined me at the bar, enjoying an evening off before running a week long Bombay Sapphire Imaginarium popup at Callooh Callay (which ends 24th May).

I moved on to a Pho Money Pho Problems made with Pho Spirit, Pak Choi & Lime Leaf, & Lime, garnished with an aromatic pile of ingredients.  It was a effectively a Daiquiri with a savoury Vietnamese twist - an acquired taste but right up my street.  On the side, I had a non-alcoholic Campari & Soda - get your head around that! They have also created booze-free Gin & Tonics. Better than it sounds!

Pho Money Pho Problems

Alcohol free Campari & Soda

I also sampled the Scottish Porn Star (Passionfruit Hops, Thyme, Super T, Lime, Shot of Irn Bru) and the Peg Martini (Yeast - aka Marmite, Koniks Tail Vodka, Fried Olive Brine), which had great flavours to match the quirkiness.  The Peg Martini was worryingly drinkable and probably would have lasted about 3 sips if I had been left alone with it.

Scottish Porn Star

Peg's Martini

Don't be fooled by the comedy names & nutty ingredients, these are serious drinks made by obsessive bartenders. Prices are reasonable with all drinks coming in at £10 or less.  The back bar (or top shelf) is full of great spirits including the excellent core Compass Box Whisky range, and top local bottled beers from Beavertown, Redchurch & London Fields are there if you need them.  If you get peckish, Iberico Pork + Fois Gras Sliders from across the hall are available.  Set aside an evening for Peg + Patriot, you won't want to leave.

Last but not least, once Caroline finally arrived (20 minutes before she was meant to be turning up for a date round the corner), we dashed over to East London Liquor Company (ELLC), a new bar and distillery in Bow Wharf just south of Victoria Park.

East London Liquor Company bar with distilling kit visible in the background

Let's just call this a first look at ELLC, as it really was a flying visit, and they haven't actually started distilling yet.  Jamie Baxter is the distilling man with a plan, fresh from making City of London Gin at CoLD Bar.  There are plans for whisky, rum & vodka, though first they need to unwrap the new equipment which is visible through glass behind the bar.

The lovely airy bar is already worth visiting though, with cocktails under £10, plenty of great spirits and some fine bottled beers.  Alongside Camden Hells, Pale Ale & Ink on draught, they also have a rotating guest tap which has started with the awesome Rogue Yellow Snow all the way from Oregon. This is less surprising when you realise ELLC is the latest Barworks venue.  They are the guys responsible for the 5CC cocktail bars and top pubs such as Exmouth Arms, Harrild & Sons, Electricity Showrooms (soon to get a 5CC) and the new Three Johns in Angel.

Going for a slightly scientific feel with all the kit on show in the background, our drinks arrived in a simple but attractive beakers.  I was extremely happy with my Ginger Tommy's (Quiquiriqui Mezcal, Lime, Ginger) and Caroline was equally content with A Rose by any Other Name (Gin, rose shrub, white wine) which was whirled together in front of us in an oversized mixing glass.

Ginger Tommy's

A Rose by any other name

There's no kitchen on site but grilled sandwiches & meat and cheese plates will fill the void along with marinated sardines and smoked almonds.  They also open for breakfast (10am Mon-Sat, 12pm Sun) with Granola, Toasted raising bread, Caravan coffee and T2 teas.

I'll be back again, hopefully with some in-house spirits emerging, and possibly coupled with a trip to Victoria Park and Victoria Park Village, both of which I have never properly explored.

The Bethnal Green openings are not stopping anytime soon with Dead Doll's Club (opening 30th May), Craft Cocktail Co and a 2nd Sager & Wilde joining the likes of Mother Kelly's, Satan's Whiskers and Redchurch Brewery in one of London's most exciting up-and-coming areas for food & drink.  Exciting times ahead!  Keep track of them all on The List Map.

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In other news... I have just launched Matt The Tumblr - a tumblr account for quick photo posts from various jaunts and events to deal with some overflow.  This may well be what I update for fun trips abroad to the likes of New York, Chicago, Toronto, Minneapolis, Edinburgh and Isle of Islay that are coming up this summer. Take a look and follow me if you wish!

Latest tumblr posts - Civilised Chelsea pub crawl // Luxardo at Dead Doll's House // Anspach & Hobday collaboration beer launch // Bacardi Bats at Shoreditch Grind

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