Kilburn Ironworks - Ladies & Gentlemen - Knowhere Special - Hook Camden

I had an efficient few days gallivanting around North London back in January. Then I didn't write it up for over a month for some reason.  And here we are.

Scroll down for local brews at Kilburn Ironworks, toilet booze at Ladies & Gentlemen, cosy caves at Knowhere Special, and funky fish and chips at Hook Camden.

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Saturday 12th January - It was first announced that a Jimi Pearce & Will Partridge Wax Jambu sequel was imminent way back in late 2013, but locals had to wait another year for neighbourhood hangout Kilburn Ironworks to finally arrive.  Was it worth the wait?

Absolutely. They have transformed the awkward long and thin room into a welcoming, cosy lodge with smart lighting and an eye-catching drinks station (complete with fire extinguisher taps). There's a great spirits selection, a wide range of top beers (with London breweries featuring heavily), a quirky list of £8 shandies and cocktails, and an enticing food menu.

The standout cocktail was the Malt Merchant - Monkey Shoulder, toasted porter reduction and lemon, topped up with Anspach & Hobday Smoked Brown with a Gosling’s Black Seal Rum float. The spirits-focused Stoke Me A Clipper was also a winner - Four Roses Bourbon, Pedro Ximenez, Cocchi Americano and Marca Negra Mezcal, served straight up.  Two good reasons to sign up for their cocktail school which starts at around £20 per person for groups of 8+.

Camden & Meantime aren't the most exciting draught beer options these days, but Beavertown keeps things interesting.  There's also a strong bottle list that includes brews from Pressure Drop, Weird Beard and Hammerton.

Jason conducting with a beer

Stoke Me A Clipper - Bourbon, Sherry, Vermouth, Mezcal

Malt Merchant - Whisky, Porter Reduction, Lemon, A&H Smoked Brown, Dark Rum

The kitchen wasn't up and running when we visited but they did have the magnificent Pig & Hay scotch eggs on offer (which are still on the menu).  One of those bad boys and a Kernel IPA will only set you back £7.  A return trip is in order to try some of this lot:

- Smog Rocket Toasted Porter Welsh Rarebit - £5

- Braised Squid & Calabrian Sausage - £7.50

- Razor Clams with Chorizo, Chilli & Garlic - £8.50

- Welsh Wagyu Beef Burger - £12/17

- Flat Iron Steak - £10

Plus optional sauces including Mezcal Horseradish Cream and Islay Whisky Peppercorn!

Pig & Hay Scotch Egg

A surefire hit on Kilburn High Road - check it out.

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We swapped Kilburn for Kentish Town in search of a few more drinks, with Ladies & Gentlemen in our sights.  Being a Saturday night (note to self: stay in on weekends), it was rammed at 9pm, as was the nearby Knowhere Special (more on that later), so we killed some time in The Assembly House pub which turned out to be rather charming.  

If it's a public house you are looking for around Kentish Town, then you should definitely check out The Southampton Arms for all the ales, The Colonel Fawcett for gin and outstanding Sunday roasts, and Tapping The Admiral to meet Nelson the pub cat.  And of course there's the Camden Town Brewery Bar which always has top street food traders in the courtyard.

Anyway, I digress.  We eventually made it into Ladies & Gentlemen for a drink towards the end of the evening, and then again the following Wednesday to do it justice.  It's the latest bar to refurbish public toilets, following on from the likes of Bermondsey Arts Club and WC Clapham. William Borrell of Vestal Vodka is the brains behind this bog-boozer, and he and his team have built a lively and friendly bar in a small space that already seems to be a huge hit with the locals (dogs included!).

Arrive early if you want to grab one of the front row seats next to their 16 litre copper alembic still (out of action on our visit), though be prepared for it to get pretty crowded behind you at times. You'll find Manager Steve keeping an eye on the room whilst Fraser and Leah hold court behind the bar.

You might like to start with their opposing Ladies & Gents Old Fashioned twists, or a Rhubarb & Custard (served in a classic Bird's Custard tin), but we went mostly off-menu during both of our stays.  I'm going to drop back in for a proper look at their set cocktail list once they've had a little more time to settle down and feature some Vestal.

Leah made me two impressive Vestal Vodka-based drinks that will probably find their way on to the menu soon - a serious Martini-style Spring Demon, and an un-named Vestal Kazebe & Ilegal Mezcal duet. Fraser came up trumps with a delightful Calvados number that we labelled Hidden Depths due to its clever use of Sloe Gin and Dry Vermouth.  Both also dealt well with some of our more left-field demands - "Something loving, insightful and mentally unstable please!".

Ladies & Gentlemen is the kind of bar that you never want to leave.  Be sure to have a taste of the Vestal Vodka range whilst you are there - you will be pleasantly surprised!  If they get themselves a proper late licence, I'll be making many more trips up North.  Bring on the 24 hour tubes!

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Wednesday 7th January - After a spot of fish and chips (see below) and before a trip to the loo (see above), we had a second go at getting in to Knowhere Special.  This was following a failed attempt on a busy Saturday evening when a brusque DJ/doorman hybrid wouldn't grant us access.  Weekends are the worst.  It was much more pleasant on a Wednesday, and we had the bar to ourselves to start with.

Blink and you'll miss Knowhere Special.  That little doorway inbetween The Assembly House and the sadly now shut Kentish Canteen (soon to become Joe's Southern Kitchen) - that's what you are looking for.  Walk through the colourful corridor and down some stairs, and you will be rewarded with a stunning little bar, full of oddments and magical lighting.

The corridor! Clever mirror shot? Nope. Just Ella Paskett doing her thing.

The front room is beautifully lit, particularly the bar, but you will find it hard to resist sitting in one of their converted prison cell alcoves.  Take your pick from the Garden (complete with gnomes), Bedroom and Kitchen caves.  There is a slight sacrifice on bar atmosphere in these cosy corners, but they are great if you are in a group.

They have a long list of classic cocktails to choose from, but on your first visit you really have to dive in to their special house drinks selection.  Each creation has been paired with a snack ranging from the mysterious ("An Autumn scene gives you a view") to the self explanatory ("A handful of bitter-spiced nuts to go with that").  This unsurprisingly bumps prices up around the £11-13 mark which is fairly pricey for the area, but worth indulging in.  And that we did:

- Friars Luck - House spiced rum, benedictine, yellow chartreuse, burnt orange peel & a hint of frankincense - with toffee apples and some salt chocolate - £11

- Ramble On...  - Pink peppercorn infused vodka, Zubrowka bison grass vodka, fresh lime, apple syrup, dry vermouth and bitters - with blackberry crumble - £11

- That's A Peach... Almost - Bourbon, lemon juice, fresh barbecued spiced peach puree, marigold syrup - with spiced almond milk and cookies - £10.50

- Choc On The Bay - Brokers Gin, stirred with dry vermouth and toasted cardamom pods, finished with a bay leaf and chocolate syrup - with a zesty lemon cheesecake - £11.50

Ramble on... with blackberry crumble

Friars Luck with toffee apples and salt chocolate

That's A Peach...Almost with almond milk and cookies

All four were a great success, and I really appreciated my strong and complex Choc On The Bay with subtle hints of cardamom and chocolate coming through.  That's A Peach...Almost worked well both with and without the spiced almond milk; the clever use of a water glass allowed for a bit of taste testing before committing to mixing it all in.

We didn't order the much-talked about Park Bench cocktail which is presented in a brown paper bag, and served in a Strongbow Can, with a sausage roll on the side.  They basically reduce Strongbow to the bare minimum, and then build it back up in to their own take on cider with Apple Brandy, Poire William Eau de Vie, House Syrup & Fizz.  One to go back for.

Oh, and they sell Curly Wurly Bars (80p), Pickled Onion Space Raiders (20p), and Salt & Vinegar Squares (70p). Sold.

Not a cocktail...

...but a candle

Matt The Tip - You should probably get some food to go with all of those Kentish Town cocktails. Book in advance for the tiny but perfectly formed Anima E Cuore, or try for Shoe Shop nearer Tufnell Park.  There's always the Soho House group Holy Trinity of Pizza East, Dirty Burger and Chicken Shop if the first two don't take your fancy.  

For all things Kentish Town, you should really refer to Kentish Towner.

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Last but not last (not a typo), before all the Kentish Town cocktails (scroll up), we met up in Camden for some unconventional fish and chips at Hook Camden.

Now, stay with me here.  Barry and Simon started doing the fish and chips thing on a stall in Dublin in 2011. Then they opened up a full restaurant in Brussels called Bia Mara (Irish for seafood) where Belgian beer played an important part.  And now they have landed in London, except they can't call it Bia Mara here for whatever reason, so Hook it is. 

Camden is hopefully just the first of many (Brixton could be next) for the Hook boys.  Their new school fish and chips may upset the odd purist, but anyone who doesn't want to try Ethiopian Berbere Spiced Pollock can head elsewhere.

Still here? Good. You made the right choice.  Hook Camden is a belter.  I obviously went for the special Ethiopian Berbere Spiced Pollock with Sweet Potato Ketchup - for £12.  Sauces are a big deal there, and each fish is paired with one (which you can swap out for something else of course),.Every order also receives an epic portion of Seaweed Salted Chips.   

On top of that, we attempted to finish Classic Panko Crusted Cod, Cajun Spiced Panko Red Gurnard, and Thai Green Tempura of Seabream, all with a load more Seaweed Salted Chips and all the sauces for £10 each. I'm talking Homemade Tartar, Garlic Truffle, Lemon & Basil, Lemon Cajun, Chipotle and more.  It's all great stuff - beautifully cooked Flying Fish Seafood with a range of seasoning in either Panko (Breadcrumbs) or Tempura (Light Batter).  

The sauces do threaten to steal the show and mask the fishy flavours every now and then, so go easy. It's a marathon, not a sprint.  For a tenner all in, it doesn't really matter if you don't finish everything, though by the looks of it the Red Gurnard might be a tad pissed off.

Do not mess with the Red Gurnard

All the Seaweed Salted Chips

Cajun Spiced Panko Red Gurnard

Ethiopian Berbere Spiced Pollock with Sweet Potato Ketchup

If you don't fancy fish (what are you doing there?), then there are two panko chicken options, and a veggie-friendly main course of parmesan and mozzarella arancini (sadly not available as a side). Speaking of sides, we can vouch for the refreshing Sea Spaghetti & Samphire Citron Salad which provided much needed balance, and the classic Minty Mushy Peas (hard to resist).

The beer list may expand soon, but for now you should be able to get by with a couple of Brixton Brewery bottles or Brasserie de la Senne's Taras Boulba.

Brixton Brewery Electric I.P.A. at Hook Camden

Barry mentioned some bonkers sounding daytime disco brunch party plans but I await further details. Keep your ears to the ground.  In the meantime, get down to Hook Camden before everyone realises how fantastic it is.  You won't leave hungry.

For more ideas, check out this recent Londonist post on the Capital's finest fish and chips

Brockley Market - Brockley Brewery - Hackney Brewery - Drink Feast

Saturday 14th December - It's over nearly three months since my excursion to Brockley Market, but it's on every Saturday so let's just pretend it was last week, ok?

Sister Jo emigrated to Brockley a couple of years ago, and I finally made it out there before Christmas with the draw of a trip to Brockley Market sealing the deal.  The market is open every Saturday from 10am-2pm in Lewisham College Car Park.  The closest station is in fact St. John's, but it is a pleasant 10 minute walk away from both Brockley and Lewisham.

The market has a little bit of everything - cakes, cheese, wine, chocolate, meat, beer, and some of London's best street food traders.  On the stalls front, we were particularly taken with the Cinnamon Tree Bakery shortbread owls, and pretty much everything at the Vadasz Deli pickles & sauerkraut stand - Kimchi kraut, sprout kraut & garlic & dill kraut all went down very nicely.

Outside of Kerb & Street Feast, Brockley Market has the best selection of street food traders every week.  Van Dough, Mother Flipper, Ruby Violet, Tongue & Cheek (currently in The Joker), Fleischmob (currently in Hand of Glory) and more packed in to the market on our visit.  

We started with one of Mike + Ollie's incredible Lamb Flatbread Wraps, one of the most delicious street food options in London.  Look out for their supper clubs.  Our second main was a large pile of Memphis BBQ Turkey Poutine from Spit & Roast - a heart warming plate of chips covered in cheese curds, turkey mince, and gravy.  Their Buttermilk Fried Chicken bap with Korean hot sauce is also a winner.

Mike + Ollie Lamb Flatbread Wrap

We finished off with a dosant (cronut, cro-dough etc etc) from Kooky Bakes, surprisingly my first foray into the over-hyped croissant vs doughnut field.  Flavours were good, but the pastry had an almost oily taste to it that didn't sit right.  I'll give them another chance, I'm sure.

There are plenty of other lovely places to stop off in Brockley if you want to make a day of it.  You could take a stroll through Hillyfields to find a couple of stalls and Pistachios in the Park.  The Gantry is a sophisticated little restaurant with separate cosy rooms downstairs - people spill out the front & there is seating in the garden in the summer.  The Orchard is a friendly bar & kitchen with comfy seats, nice lighting, boardgames and books. Brockley's Rock is not your average fish & chip shop, with the likes of Grilled Seabass and Salmon on the menu.

We paid a quick visit to the relatively new Brockley Brewery which opens up to the public on Saturdays (normally 10-2 ish but check Facebook or Twitter).  They have bottles & posters to buy, milk cartons to fill up, and fresh beer for sale including Pale Ale, Red Ale & Golden Ale.  They are launching a Porter today (March 7th) and having a One Year Birthday Bash on March 14th with craft beer and live local bands from 8-11pm.

Brockley may be getting more great beer soon in the form of LDN Dispensary, another beer & burger bar from the Late Knights Brewery team after the success of Beer Rebellion in Gipsy Hill.  Peckham & Penge are also on the cards.

My phone charger was on the fritz, so I had to be careful to link up with people at exact times all day and use numbers written down on actual paper (who knew it was still useful?), hence why I met up with friend Sam for a brief hour in Horniman at Hay's for a couple of pints and the use of his phone. It's a great spot for a drink if you can get a seat outside on the river looking out at HMS Belfast, but it does get packed after work.

After that, I worked my way over to Hoxton for 5pm to link up with my final carer for the evening, Tom.  We were on our way over to Drink Feast but decided to poke our heads into the Hackney Brewery en route.  They don't have a taproom but were happy to chat to us over a beer as they cleaned up for the day.

They have been up and running for 2 years, which makes them pretty old on the London beer scene. Their Best Bitter and American Pale Ale are regular pints for me around London - highly recommended. They are in high demand, so perhaps a bigger kit / space beckons in the not too distant future for expansion.

Finally, we made it to Drink Feast - an ambitious "immersive" bar event from Offbeat that ran all weekend in the wonderful Hoxton Docks.  They gathered some of London's best bars together, designed the space like a film set, and brought in some amusing actors to tie it all together - sounds bonkers, but it worked.

We started off at an apothecary bar chatting to an enthusiastic doctor before moving on to the Travelling Gin Co., a pop-up drinks project serving up gin-based cocktails from their bicycle bars. They plan to make their own gin in the future, but already have their own Colonial Tonic (a collaboration with Ebeltoft Farm Brewery) made using Cinchona Tree bark that provides a natural source of quinine.  The result is a bitter sweet tonic, golden brown in colour, that is a million miles from Schweppes.  I experimented with it at home with the likes of Gordon's, Bombay Sapphire & Hendricks, and found lots of new flavours coming through.  Keep track of their blog to see where they might be popping up next.

The boys from Nola were down whipping up Hurricanes and more as usual - make sure you go for the full live music & cocktails experience at their bar above Bedroom Bar in Shoreditch.  Pisco Fuego brought a sample of their Latin drinking & dining experience down with their medicine-bottled cocktails.

We made some new friends outside the Hoxton Docks tequila & sangrita bar (cosily tucked into a shipping container) before heading over to the Kindred Spirits bar.

Kindred Spirits was a pop-up bar shared between Bán Poitín and Vestal Vodka.  I was already very familiar with Vestal Vodka after going on an awesome Vestal Voyage cocktail canal trip on Regent's Canal last year.  They are still running the experience regularly and I highly recommend taking them up on it! There was a decadent Drink Feast option of arriving in to the Hoxton Docks space on the Vestal Voyages boat.

Bán & Vestal - Kindred Spirits

Vestal owner William Borrell was on hand to chat about their superb range that really are a cut above most of the competition, from the creamy Kazebe vodka to the hard-to-find Amber Elderflower liqueur. They have also recently teamed up with Dalston Cola to make a vodka coke worth drinking!

Sharing the bar were Bán, a boutique spirit company bringing back Poitín, a very strong Irish distilled spirit that was banned for over 300 years - it can clock in anywhere between 40%-90%.  At 52.7%, most people will want to mix Bán but it is drinkable on its own!  Cara from Bán made us two fantastic flaming Leprechaun Zombies (see below) that were dangerously quaffable.  The best place to sample Bán in London is definitely Shebeen - an Irish bar with generous happy hours tucked below Kentish Canteen, dedicated to Poitín.

Shoreditch Grind were doing a roaring trade, shifting Espresso Martinis as fast as they could.  Barchick were also tucked away in a corner, running a bonkers little disco bar - they seemed to be having a pretty good time themselves with the limbo combined with shots keeping them entertained.

Shoreditch Grind

Our favourite bartenders of the night were the guys from Bon Vie Recruitment who looked after the Ruski's stall for the night. Ruski's is a vodka & caviar tavern, which is currently moving to a new location after opening briefly in High Street Kensington opposite their sister venue Bodo's Schloss at the end of last year.

We sampled a fair amount of the very drinkable smooth Belenkaya vodka, before Tom got into a lengthy discussion with one of the character actors about conductor Valery Gergiev and anti-gay legislation in Russia - whether she was interested (or indeed Russian) or not, she kept a straight face and earnestly chatted away.

We ended the evening listening to to Benoit Viellefon & His Orchestra, an excellent gypsy jazz band that I coincidentally seen for the first time days before at The Last Word.  If hot club swing jazz is your thing, then you need to get yourself over to Le Quecumbar in Battersea.

There were street food trucks on hand to soak up some of the booze - they were quite hard to find, but allowed the bars to take centre stage.

Offbeat really pulled it off at Drink Feast, and I am glad they are doing it all again this summer.  My photos don't do justice to the stunning event that they created, and the friendly atmosphere with actors & bartenders joining forces was a joy to experience.  Pre-release tickets go on sale on 1st April - put that date in your diary, and I'll see you there!