I went with some friends to this French restaurant in London, located on Greek Street in Soho. It was an occasionally perplexing and even tense experience, although the martini I drank before my meal was nice. The staff were friendly and pleasant but there was a strange, intense and even chaotic element to the service. It was difficult to book a table, despite the fact … Continue reading L’Escargot Restaurant, Soho, London, 3/5
I thought I would review my parents’ house to illustrate that you don’t need to be in a fancy bar to have a nice martini. I gave their venue full points for adhering to all the main points in the martini rating scale. They keep the gin and martini glasses in the freezer and they use lemon peel to flavour and garnish the drink. They … Continue reading Mum and Dad’s house gets 5/5 for martinis
Cucina povera means ‘poor/poverty kitchen’, and this restaurant specialises in traditional Italian ‘peasant food’. If I was reviewing food and service this place would get full marks. So when I have to mark them down for very small (but crucial) martini points it makes me feel bad. I even added a subjective point to this rating – because they make their own in-house olive-infused gin. … Continue reading Paesan Restaurant, Farringdon, London, 4/5
‘Dishoom’ is a traditional Bollywood onomatopoeic word (like ‘Kapow!’) used to express the noise of someone getting punched or slapped in an old film or comic book. In London, Dishoom Shoreditch is an eatery inspired by Mumbai cafe culture. It is easily identified by the queue outside its doors most evenings. It gets points for its evocative, eccentric decor, attentive service and excellent array of … Continue reading Dishoom Packs a Punch
Roka: 4/5 Roka is a lovely Japanese bar/restaurant with a couple of branches in London. I’m not here to review the food, I’m here to review the martini. They had a beautiful array of sakes, shochu and cocktails but with a very slight nudge their martinis could make this place out of this world: They don’t keep the gin/vodka and glasses in the freezer. That’s … Continue reading Roka Bar could rock my world with one small adjustment: 4/5
The Martini Socialist 