Virgin Mary at The Thomas Cubitt

The Virgin Mary is always my saviour when venturing out for lunch after an overindulgent night before. And last weekend I managed to taste the best Virgin Mary in a long while whilst at The Thomas Cubitt.

Admittedy this pub is technically in Belgravia but given it's simply a walk away from Sloane Square I feel compelled to share my great experience. Not only did the Virgin Mary have the perfect kick to wake me from my hungover state of mind, the flavours were wonderfully complex as they should be. Traces of celery and horseradish could be tasted in amongst the Tabasco, Worcestershire Sauce and seasoning that it was such a delight to savour a drink that tasted as if care and thought had been put into its recipe. This drink was like a delicious meal in itself and rightly so.

My favourite memory of ordering a Virgin Mary involves the King’s Arms on Fulham Road. I had been at The Sporting Page and Sophie’s Steakhouse earlier and whilst everyone else continued drinking, I ordered a Virgin Mary. It was a Tuesday night and given that a Gentle Sea Breeze was simply too tame and sweet for my tastebuds, I decided on something with a definite albeit innocent punch.

So the barman served me my drink and I tasted it, only to discover that it was simply tomato juice: “It’s just tomato juice,” I told him. But he didn’t think anything of it. In fact, the barman told me that he normally served Virgin Mary as tomato juice with ice; the ice being the extra ingredient. The barman then elaborated that no one had ever complained either. After much debate and the realisation that I was never going to get the drink I wanted, I ended up ordering a Gin and Tonic instead.

This of course was an extreme situation and there are many a competent Virgin or be it Bloody Mary out there. But the Virgin Mary at The Thomas Cubitt worked its complete charm on me. It was exactly what the doctor ordered for a suffering head and it was utterly delicious.

Chili Martini at Sophie’s Steakhouse

The Chili Martini at Sophie's Steakhouse is easily one of my favourite cocktails in Chelsea. It’s so good that at the end of the night when all the other foodies are paying their bill, I have to order just one more as if it were an after dinner mint albeit slightly more potent.

The Chili Martini consists of vanilla vodka, chili and passion fruit. These three simple ingredients are explosive when mixed together whilst the clash of the sweet passionate fruit with the hot chilli turns your mouth into a playground of delicious flavours. It's so easy to drink that tasting one will leave you wanting more. This cocktail is a definite recommend.

Yellow Pepper at Eighty Six

Admittedly, I was a bit apprehensive about walking into Eighty Six. After all, I was so used to 86 Fulham Road being my favourite tequila bar in London. Sadly, Cactus Blue closed its doors for the last time during the summer and its loyal customers were left in the lurch as to what might take its place.

Last week, this question was answered as I walked past No. 86 to see that the lights were on inside. And so as quickly as I could, I headed back there to see the transformation for myself and of course to see what delicious treats I was hoping to find on their menu.

My drink of the night was the Yellow Pepper, which contained rose liquor, vodka, apple juice, vanilla, yellow pepper and lemon juice. The rose, apple and vanilla must have worked to soften the flavour of the yellow pepper because the yellow pepper wasn't overpowering at all. If anything it was delicate. My favourite drinks are those that look deceptively simple but are wonderfully complicated when they hit the taste buds and this was one of those drinks. 

The Yellow Pepper hasn't fast become a favourite but it was an exciting departure from the familiar selection on most cocktail menus. Simply delicious.

Yellow Pepper

Dusty Rose at The Botanist

Last week I was just about to step into The Botanist when I was asked what my poison was. I replied King’s Robe. But when the kind gentleman went to the bar, I discovered that the King’s Robe was no more. As much as I was devastated that this delicious rhubarb martni was now a distant memory, I was excited to take a look at the menu and discover something new. I chose the Dusty Rose Martini which consisted of a “large shot of Pinky vodka muddled with fresh pink grapefruit, homemade white rose syrup and a splash of fresh lime juice.”

The Dusty Rose was a refreshing drink. It didn’t pull any surprising punches but it did have a delicious sweetness when it touched the lips. Dangerously, it didn’t have a bite either so was easy to knock back. This drink is a definite recommend if you're looking for something light and not too sweet to drink. The pink rosebud at the bottom is also a very pretty touch.

The antithesis to The Dusty Rose was the Roasted Plum Martini which I tasted at TwentyTen Restaurant at The Wyndham Grand Hotel on Chelsea Harbour. This drink, which consisted of sake, Stolichnaya vodka, roasted plum and golden syrup was confusing. The flavours didn’t blend so easily. They were so jarring that I had to look at the menu to remind myself of the ingredients. Perhaps it was the clash of the sake with the golden syrup that confused my taste buds. It was a pity because this drink was on the verge of being a great martini for Christmas. As much as I tried to enjoy it, I struggled.

Roasted Plum Martini

Black Velvet at The Phene

Sitting in The Phene just before fireworks night in Battersea Park, I overheard a man handing over a Black Velvet to his friend. I was astonished that any pub in London would serve a Black Velvet after an experience long ago at the Hollywood Arms: a barman had tried and failed a few times to make this drink (Guinness and Champagne) and then vowed never to bother ever again, after having wasted half a bottle of champagne with his attempts. The only places where I've discovered expertly poured Black Velvets in London have been at The Wolseley and J Sheekey and both times ordered with oysters.

At the Phene, the Black Velvet was served in a pint glass and the man complained to his friend that they hadn’t poured enough Champagne into the glass. I felt like interrupting and suggesting that they order a half pint next time so that there'd be less Guinness. But I was all too excited to discover that there was a pub in Chelsea willing to make a Black Velvet in the first place. I can't vouch for how the Black Velvet tasted at The Phene but I'm still impressed that they gave it a go. Now to find somewhere in Chelsea that serves oysters along with this smooth drink which is ideally served in a tankard. That would be a real treat.