House of Peroni - El Nivel

Friday 2nd May - May got off to a great start with a rambling pub-bar-bar-pub route around Holborn and Covent Garden, talking in two old favourites and a couple of new joints.

The evening started with a quick pint in the Holborn Whippet with Max & Felix who mostly watched Team List from afar last year whilst posted in Lithuania & Afghanistan respectively.  I'm still waiting for a guest blog from their travels...

The Holborn Whippet is a cracking pub in the same family as Euston Tap & Pelt Trader, and is nicely tucked away on the often overlooked pedestrianised Sicilian Avenue near Holborn.  Lagunitas IPA, Redwell IPA and Beavertown 8-Ball impressed as usual.

From there, we decided to drop in to The House of Peroni which had conveniently just opened that day round the corner in Lincoln's Inn Fields.  Four floors of an elegant townhouse have been converted into a celebration of Italian style & culture for the month of May, inspired by the spirit of 1963 - a year when Italian style became renowned across the world, and Carlo Peroni created Peroni Nastro Azzurro beer.  The house is free to enter (for ages 18+), Monday to Saturday (and occasional Sundays) until 31st May from 12 noon til late.

Vibrant colours in the entrance

We decided to start at the top, popping our heads in to the temporary home for Bottega Wapping restaurant.  You need to reserve a spot to eat & drink in this incredibly funky dining room.  Bizarrely, Creative Director Lorenzo Di Francesco and Head Chef Daniele Miconi have reimagined traditional Italian cuisine through the music of 1963 Italy! I'm not entirely sure what that means.

Moving down through the house with a pint that didn't compare too well to the Holborn Whippet's finest, we got distracted by several fun & impressive installations.  

The bars are also part of the design party - The Black and White Bar is a striking nod to Franco Grignani's monochrome designs, and The Concrete Bar is set out like a miniature concrete cityscape that illuminates at night.. Drinks are different on every floor, with several cocktails making use of Peroni Nastro Azzurro in some way.  They have also taken this opportunity to launch a new Piccola bottle, their first innovation in bottle design since 1963.

Felix using all of his army training to move some coloured lights around a wall

Max controlling the world.

What would the army think of you, Felix?

The Black and White Bar

Federico Riezzo's Negroni Bottiglia

The new "Piccola" bottle

We eventually made it down to the al fresco Terrace area outside the entrance, where rotating street food traders will serve up quick eats & The Pavilion Bar is handling drinks.  We had a fantastic round of Orecchiette with Spicy N'Duja Sausage and Tenderstem Broccoli from Pasta e Basta.

Alongside the food, drink & art, there are several workshops to get involved with including Become an Italian Barista, The Art of Gelato and Create your own Silk Scarf which all need to be booked in advance.

Whilst the beer itself isn't much of an attraction, the house most certainly is - get down there before the end of May!

House of Peroni

Our next stop was a short walk away in Covent Garden.  Hidden above Maiden Lane mainstay La Perla, you will find their new sister bar dedicated to all things agave called El Nivel.  Antojitos (small plates) lie in wait to soak up all of the tequilas, mezcals, sotols, bacanoras & raicillas on offer.

We were warmly welcomed by Massi & his bar team, who started us off with some superb Tequila Ocho to sip.  Little did we know, Tomas Estes, Creator of Tequila Ocho, International Tequila Ambassador for the National Chamber of the Tequila Industry. Owner of Cafe Pacifico, La Perla and El Nivel (phew), and all round good egg, was across the room.  We were in safe hands.

Moving temporarily away from sipping, we got a round of cocktails in (all £9-13).  I went for a Siesta, a twist on the contemporary classic from PDT, the New York speakeasy that is high on my American summer holiday to-do list.  El Nivel's Siesta is a refreshing blend of AquaRiva premium Reposado, fresh lime and grapefruit juices, almond syrup, Campari & Merlet apricot, churned over crushed ice.

Max, sporting a medal from working at the Lithuanian embassy, couldn't resist getting a Diplomat's Downfall - Tapatio 110, fresh lemon and orange juices, lemon thyme and pineapple syrups, pimento dram, churned over crushed ice with a port float. Delicious.

Best of the bunch though was the Felix's Mezcal Fix featuring QuiQuiRiQui mezcal, roasted pineapple syrup, fresh lime, Cynar and saltwater spray.  I had such cocktail envy that I ordered it for myself later.  QuiQuiRiQui mezcal is owned by Melanie Symonds who you might spot boozing away in Catrina, her Mezcal ambulance, or in the QuiQuiRiQui mezcaleria which is due to reopen permanently underneath Golden Grill kebab shop on Hackney Road after a popular stay there in 2013

Due to the nature of their license, you have to eat something with a knife and fork at some point during your stay at El Nivel, so we ordered some Guacamole & Hummus.  Make that President Carter's Hummus and Guacamole "Yim Fun Ho" (with fresh strawberries, mango, jicama, topped with pomegranate seeds, served on an edible Shiso leaf, accompaned by Chinese pancakes).  If you are feeling fancy, you can go for the Roasted lobster & monkfish tail, served with lobster bisque and sangrita reduction or the Fillet of Beef Barcelona Style with caramelised onions and seared foie gras.

After our first round, Massi brought Tomas Estes over for a chat, which bizarrely led to a comprehensive Vestal Vodka tasting as William Vestal had recently dropped off some of his finest bottles.  Vestal are leading a vodka revolution in the UK (expect more to emerge this year).  Hunt some down - it will really surprise you.

Vestal Vodka

The Tequila Ambassador book by Tomas Estes

Moving back to agave, we sipped on the QuiQuiRiQui Matatlan and San Juan del Rio, even better served neat.  Following Tomas' advice, Max finished with La Poderosa - Vida mezcal, agave nectar, lime juice, cardamom and lavender bitters, topped with sparkling wine.  I wasn't convinced that mezcal and sparkling wine would be a winning combination, but I was very much in the wrong.  What do I know anyway?

QuiQuiRiQui Mezcal

La Poderosa

El Nivel is one of my favourite new finds.  The location is obviously excellent and the hospitality was second to none, but most importantly, the spirits collection is fantastic and the cocktails were consistently impressive.  I'll be back soon.

Completing the pub-bar-bar-pub route, we couldn't walk to Charing Cross without dropping in to The Harp for a couple of beers.  Still one of the best pubs in London despite the new wave of craft beer bars, and a great spot in summer when the doors are opened up.  Read more here.

Thanks to (soon to be) Captain Felix & (kind of) Ambassador Max for keeping me company this time around.

Sean's Thai Bar - Kaosarn - Zocalo

Wednesday 14th May - Thai - Thai - Tequila! Not an obscure drinking game, but my route on Wednesday night.  The evening started in Balham at the opening night of Sean's Thai Bar in Balham.  I only learned of it the day before, and it handily slotted into an hour and a half gap before dinner.

Sean Blake already runs a funky little joint called Sean's Bar in Brixton Village making use of Rosie's Deli in the evenings.  Whilst there he befriended Jay who recently opened Krua Thai restaurant in Balham, which led to the offer of an unused basement space.  Sean wasted no time in converting the space into Sean's Thai Bar.

As with Sean's Bar, the drinks list is relatively simple (and refreshingly cheap), with a small but high quality range of spirits behind the bar. There are more cocktails here than in Brixton, with several classics and house specials - I can recommend the Jungle Bird with Mekhong (a Thai spirit), Campari, Lime & Pineapple.  You also can't really go wrong with £4.50 Gin & Tonics, or a splash of Abuelo 7 yr Rum.

After a night in Brixton, we went home humming Barry White, and the soul music is back again here, supposedly with a 70s Thai twist - I'll have to do some homework on that.  If you are peckish, there are exciting bar snacks on offer (separate from upstairs) - we stuck to the yummy prawn crackers as dinner plans had already been made.

It's a great little space, full of quirky details such as a Doors lyric written in Thai above the bar, a specials board behind windows, and a £1 peep show sign (bargain!) which Sean may or may not have stolen from somewhere.  We sat in a corner of the bar which Sean is particularly proud of - when they first arrived they found a fake wall which was concealing a hidden bedroom! Who knows what the previous owner was up to...

Just what Balham needs, go and check it out!

From Thai to Thai - I hopped on a train to Clapham Junction to meet flatmate Ali for some food at Kaosarn, another place with roots in Brixton Village.  All this week, several restaurants on St.John's Hill are offering special £15 menus as part of the Fabulous Feast which culminates in a big food festival today (Saturday 17th May) - read more here.

I ran out to Sainsburys to grab a beer (BYOB) straight after ordering, and the starters had already arrived when I returned 2 minutes later.  We went for Satay & Moo-Ping skewers - generous portions and tasty sticky sauces are a winning combination.  I do wonder if Ali munched through some more and hid the evidence whilst I was off site...

We moved quickly on to classic Thai Green Chicken Curry & Beef Massaman Curry with sticky rice. I could eat Kaosarn's creamy green curry all day - it's a reminder that good food doesn't need to show off to be enjoyable.  Simple and delicious.

Dessert was Gluay Tod - Banana fritters served with vanilla ice-cream topped with ground roasted peanuts and honey.  Hit the spot again, gone in seconds.

We were in and out within an hour which is impressive, but we would have loved to stay longer as the atmosphere is wonderful, helped by a bright dining room with high ceilings, cool lighting, and windows opening out on to St.John's Hill.  Fantastic food from start to finish - all for £15!

With Powder Keg Diplomacy buzzing opposite, Ben's Canteen round the corner, and Birdhouse café down the road, local residents are spoilt for choice.  Check them all out on Saturday at the festival, or make some time to visit St. John's Hill soon.

Last but not least, Ali and I walked back to Battersea Square to say hello to a new tapas & tequila bar called Zocalo that has just opened near our flat.  We were warmly greeted by Jose who instantly started pouring us some Del Maguey Vida Mezcal including one for himself.

They have a great range of Tequilas & Mezcals, great for sipping, but also in cocktails such as Negroni Mezcal and Pare de Sufrir (Mezcal, Coffee Liqueur, Amaro, Mole Bitters, Pedro Ximenez & Cinnamon).  I moved on to Del Maguey Minero whilst Ali switched to Tequila with a Don Julio Reposado.

In-house chilli tequila concoction

Estrella is on tap alongside some nice bottled beers including Negra Modelo and the lesser known Mexican Red Pig Ale which a friend is importing for them.  I'm hoping this becomes a fun little spot for Mexico matches during the World Cup in a few weeks!  The atmosphere could be incredible making use of the wonderful outdoor space in the hidden gem that is Battersea Square.

Love these adjustable chairs!

The tapas selection looks superb, but I will have to come back to sample it soon (though I will probably just end up sipping more mezcal). This might be a regular haunt for me - very dangerous!