Storefront City London

Archive for the tag “bars”

Hope & Anchor

WHAT: Hope & Anchor
WHERE: 
123 Acre Lane, Brixton, London, SW2 5UA
PRICE: Entrées £7–14, Draft Pint £5.30–6.50, Cocktails £10
OUTDOORS: Yes

OUR RATING: Do It!

Credit: Hope & Anchor

It’s been awhile, we know, but after a year-long hiatus the Storefront City team is back in action and making the most of life. We’ll be honest: it’s been super hard to stay indoors all this time and we were itching to get back out into the big wide world and share our latest and greatest experiences with you. To that end, and to highlight venues that are a tad bit safer pandemic-wise, we’ve created a new rating category above showcasing whether the adventure reviewed is outdoors. We hope that this will give you the confidence to dive back in and explore new locations where you’ll feel safer.

For our first foray we hit up the Hope & Anchor in Brixton, a beautiful cocktail bar complete with an opulent garden dripping with style. Hammocks, private cabins, and neon accents create a stunning environment to grab a few drinks and soak up a warm evening with friends.

Credit: Hope & Anchor

Adam: Whilst the name might make you think this is a run-of-the-mill pub, the Hope & Anchor (indeed established as a pub in 1815) is most certainly NOT your grandfather’s pub. After ducking through the indoor area, you are greeted by an array of leafy trees, festooned in twinkling lights. To top this off, you can opt to sit in one of the many cabanas that dot the perimeter, creating your own oasis of privacy and yet still benefiting from the trendy vibe of those around you.

Ordering is easy tableside via the app, although we’d recommend you download this beforehand to avoid the hassle of signing up there and then. I opted for a pint of refreshing Beavertown Neck Oil, a Session IPA that matched the light and airy feel of the evening. Bracing and bursting with taste, this is a citrus-hoppy beer with a somewhat flowery aspect that I would definitely recommend. A perfect complement to a perfect night.

Credit: Hope & Anchor

Alicia: The Hope & Anchor seems like such a small and stuffy mini-pub when you first walk in the door, until you start getting into their backyard and suddenly you’re in a Wonderland. I’m such a sucker for unique outdoor dining experiences that give you fun lights and set elements to look at when you’re in the midst of a refreshing pint. I went for my go-to Guinness as the options for drinks were quite minimal — only Aperol Spritz and espresso martinis were available out of anything on offer, so if you’re a cocktail person this probably isn’t the place for you.

Unfortunately, I can’t say this is the best place for dining either — we splurged on some loaded fries that sounded good on paper: slow cooked ox cheek, plum ketchup, soy yoghurt, jalapeños. Alas, the fries were a bit cold and definitely mushy, albeit flavourful. We weren’t impressed enough by the chips to go in for some more food — it just didn’t seem like the kind of pub to offer some really great meals, but we were more than happy to drink up and enjoy the ambience instead!

Credit: Hope & Anchor

Final Thoughts: Brixton has a few lovely outdoor pubs, but we’ve got to admit the Hope & Anchor is one of the more fun-for-the-eyes spots. Definitely a go-to for an after-dinner pint. Weather is obviously an important factor if you’re enjoying an outdoor beer garden, so go now if the sun is shining or the night is warm and get cozy in some beach huts under twinkling lights.

PS: Enjoy outdoor drinking with intricate theming? Don’t miss the rooftop bar at Queen of Hoxton!

The Emerald City Rooftop Bar

WHAT: The Emerald City Rooftop Bar
WHEN: 24 October 2019 – May 2020 (4:00pm on)
WHERE: Queen of Hoxton (1 Curtain Road, London, EC2A 3JX)
PRICE: Free Entry

OUR RATING: Do It!

Credit: Queen of Hoxton

Travel down the yellow brick road to The Queen of Hoxton’s newest rooftop retreat – a cozy winter escape and hidden bar far far away from Kansas. We had the fortunate opportunity to attend this immersive event’s launch a few weeks ago, but luckily for our readers this emerald realm is open for free all the way to May 2020.

After entering the venue we climbed the themed yellow brick road all the way to the rooftop, where we were met with a snug and spellbinding viridescent hideout with Dorothy’s house dropped upon the evil witch herself all inside QoH’s famous rooftop WigWam. Afterwards, we found ourselves in the outdoor and bar spaces, complete with fire pits, beautiful lights, and entertaining roaming witch characters.

Credit: Queen of Hoxton

We immediately headed to the bar area, excited to try some hot alcoholic drinks to keep the cold away. For those less adventurous the venue offers familiar drinks – pumpkin spiced mulled cider and mulled berry wine, both of which can be spiked with additional liquor. We instead opted to try two of their spiked hot chocolates. While we were slightly underwhelmed by their Bad *itch Hot Chocolate (dark hot chocolate, chocolate liqueur, activated charcoal), we thought the Wicked Hot Chocolate (white hot chocolate, chocolate liqueur, matcha powder) was a unique and very smooth drink. Our favourite drink, by far, was the hot buttered rum (mulled with cinnamon, peppercorns, butter, rum, and fudge), which we had a really hard time not ordering again and again. Just thinking about it gives us fond warm memories!

Credit: Queen of Hoxton

If hot alcoholic drinks aren’t your thing (what??), they also serve up some cold green drinks, such as the Green Lady (egg white, gin, lemon, orange liqueur) and the Emerald Bellini (vodka, passion fruit, orange, Prosecco, salted caramel and popping candy rim). We weren’t a huge fan of the latter drink, but thought the fun and flavourful rim was well worth it.

Credit: Queen of Hoxton

We also tried some of the Kansas-inspired food QoH had to offer, including meat and vegan burgers with black charcoal buns, and beef or pumpkin pot roasts with collard greens & cornbread. We weren’t overly impressed with the burgers and chips, but thought the pot roasts were quite yummy and perfect for a cold night, albeit a bit pricey.

Credit: Queen of Hoxton

For the remainder of this Autumn/Winter, QoH will be celebrating the season of the witch with a variety of free events on this emerald rooftop, including witch academy classes, feminist witch storytelling, a winter witch craft market, and green eco-events such as pickling workshops and a clothes swap.

Final Thoughts: We can’t wait to return to The Emerald City with some mates and sit down in the gorgeous green glen of their WigWam sipping mug after mug of hot buttered rum. We might skip the food this time, but for a free immersive bar experience, this is sure to keep you warm this winter. And don’t forget to get some of their marshmallows to toast over their open fire pits – a nostalgic and perfect addition to your night out.

P.S. For better burgers, head over to The Old Bengal Bar for some fun and juicy ones!

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