The Refinery - Regent's Place

It’s Wednesday, what better time to plan what you will be doing this weekend (or tonight if your week is going that badly). To assist you with your preparation, today’s post has been written by my good friend, the Bromley Boozer…..

A very refined experience

When such a stylish invitation arrived in the post, rather than just an email, with an invitation to check out The Refinery, a new bar in Euston, central London I was pretty excited to go. 

Finding it should have been no problem, after all it’s five minute walk from Euston station and about five other tube stations. However in my rush to leave work I forgot to do a quick check on the exact location.  

So after a quick meet-up drink in a nearby pub I consulted with my companion BeautyKingUK.  Google maps weren’t working properly on my phone so after deciding not to ask a policeman for directions (he was making an arrest at the time so seemed a bit busy) and rejecting Stephen’s advice to go into Euston station and look for a map on the wall (very 1980s) we did finally stumble across it more through luck than any form of judgement whatsoever.

When we arrived my first thought was that it wasn’t what I was expecting. Given the name The Refinery I expected something more industrial like a processing plant or something but maybe that’s just me and I was thinking of an oil refinery. Anyway it’s actually a large ground floor space of what looks like a new office block and has a real wow factor with huge floor to ceiling windows and endless rows of bottles of spirits and wines visible from the outside.  There’s tons of outdoor seating which will be great for warmer weather. And on our visit they had thoughtfully provided hot water bottles.  Unfortunately I think I will be prevented from including a picture of Stephen hugging a hot water bottle outside in the cold pulling funny faces (the unfair power of the editor).

Yes, yes you will be prevented from including that picture!

In true Beautykinguk style (see I do read the blog really) – here’s is what the marketing people say about The Refinery:

‘Scandinavian style runs throughout the one-floored wonder with floor-to-ceiling glass windows, polished natural timbers, reclaimed flooring and antique copper accents. Discerning drinkers are invited to sink into a lowslung leather chair or sofa, draped as they are with faux furs and hides, or prop up the chunky statement bar built from stacked oak sleepers for the best seat in the house.

Diners, meanwhile, can choose from high or low tables, with plenty of spaces to eat and relax for singles, couples and group get-togethers. Snag a spot at the marble-clad counter and watch all the theatre of the open-plan kitchen as you dine. And as we ebb towards spring, the large outdoor terrace will really come into its own, furnished with lush potted plants, warm blankets and outdoor heaters for when day turns to dark.’

Once inside the place was buzzing and within thirty seconds we had our first cocktail in our hands  -  a Juniper Garden (containing Tanqueray Gin, Aperol, coriander & juniper syrup and cucumber) was refreshing and certainly tasted fresh. The cucumber swizzle stick reminded me of the celery stick you get with a Bloody Mary.

A Juniper Garden

Next up was a Prince Regent with lemon-infused Snow Queen vodka, lychee liquor, grapefruit juice and Prosecco. This was my favourite as I pretty much love any cocktail with vodka in it and Snow Queen is my next favourite brand after Grey Goose.  The combination of lychee and grapefruit worked well and stopped it from being either too sharp (the grapefruit) or too sweet (the lychee). 

The Brit Spritzes with their edible flowers next to Prince Regents

Finally a Brit Spritz.  This one won the prize for the prettiest cocktail I’ve ever seen – all complete with edible flowers in the top. Well they said they were edible but there were canapes so I wasn’t that hungry for flowers.  

You can see what they did with the name of the cocktail here using Chapel Down Brut sparkling wine from Kent, elderflower cordial and Kamm & Sons.  

Having never heard of that last ingredient I looked them up and it turns out they are a British aperitif made from a secret family recipe with no less than 45 natural botanicals including all kinds of weird things like nuts, peels, roots and leaves. Pretty interesting actually and you can read more about them here - imagine a bottle is not cheap though if it’s that complicated to make.

Time flew and it was soon time to go – sadly you can’t drink cocktails all night and fully appreciate the flavour; let alone walk in a straight line.  

I had a lovely time and this would be a great place to meet up with friends after work as it’s so central.  

There’s a massive menu too so I’m keen to go back and try the food soon. There are pudding cocktails on the menu (e.g. a Tirimasu martini) and that alone has got to be reason enough to go back!

The Refinery

5 Brock Street

Regent’s Place

NW1 3FG

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The Maze Inn - Cocktails

Update January 2016 - sadly The Maze Inn has closed down and I'm at a loss as to where I can get a good cocktail in North London now.

It may be Thursday but if you haven't already been planning where you should be imbibing drinks this weekend (what have you been doing Monday - Wednesday?!?) I have a place you could try, and for the first time ever you are treated to a joint post. While my friend, Bailey (a.k.a The Bromley Boozer) and expert in all things cocktail and alcohol related has jotted down the bones of this post I have added to it slightly to avoid being barred from one of my local drinking establishments - I am talking about Maze Inn, a bar located next to the London Underground station in Southgate, Enfield. 

Turn the lights down low - on a Friday & Saturday the bar is quite atmospheric

So, on with the show. 

At 2 am on a Friday or Saturday night (it’s open till 3 am) you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who cares much about the quality of the drinks at the Maze Inn; only that it’s still serving them long after everywhere else nearby has called last orders (and yes both I and Bailey have been guilty of this a few times). 

The fact that Southgate, located just a few stops from the end of the Piccadilly Line probably isn’t many people’s idea of a top quality cocktail destination is a problem for the venue. In an area lacking places with a touch of class (glass in the door windows) to drink in, Maze Inn stands out. 

I'm not really this pale, the flash on the camera was set to 'burn retinas'

It has a relatively nice heated outdoor seating area to the front and while I (Stephen) think the interior is quirky and slightly moody with the absence of bright light, Bailey thinks different. As I may be slightly bias knowing what used to be there before Maze Inn opened I have left the descriptions of the interior design to her. 

Anyway, without wandering off topic too much, we’ll continue! On our specially timed early evening visit to sample the cocktails a couple of weeks ago we sauntered in, searching and needing a stiff drink. 

Maze Inn is a bar that turns into a nightclub on a Friday and Saturday night. It doesn’t particularly get busy and it’s the kind of place you can do and have a nice drink if you don’t want to be hassled, jostled or bumped around a city centre bar or local boozer. 

Every bar or restaurant needs a concept these days – whether it’s playing poker to set the price of your dinner, playing with cats with your cup of coffee or serving nothing but bowls of cereal. And Maze Inn used to have a concept. Sort of (about five years ago).  But sadly there is now no sign of the legendary Happy Hour machine where a press of a giant button on the bar brought the random chance of a buy one, get one free or some other money-saving deal on the price of drinks.  If the owners are reading this – we want it back and we want it back now.

Now for Bailey’s description of the interior (as there are photos I’m not sure why she insisted on this section). The décor won’t win any prizes for originality.  The throne style chairs that David and Victoria Beckham got married in seem to have been the inspiration, along with plenty of red pleather and chandeliers bought in bulk from Homebase.  But if you want a fashionable place then go hang out in Shoreditch or Deptford or wherever the cool kids go.                                
The cocktail menu isn’t massive but size isn’t everything and it does have some interesting options.  At £7.50 each they are pretty good value and would certainly be double that if served in central rather than on the edge of London.

I unimaginatively chose a Long Island Iced Tea (vodka, gin, rum, tequila, triple sec and coke).  I have these every time I go to Maze Inn as they are the best I have ever tasted. Not just the best in London, the best in the world - they even beat the ones from Las Vegas where a bartender tried to kill my liver with one drink.

Bailey always goes for a vodka martini because they use her favourite Grey Goose vodka and take the time to chill the glass first by filling it with ice.  Because there are no mixers in a vodka martini it has to be good vodka or you just don’t get a smooth enough drink.  Being pure spirits (just vodka and vermouth) it’s a drink for sipping slowly whilst enjoying pleasant surroundings and good conversation.  And at the Maze Inn at least you get the pleasant surroundings…..(that is Bailey’s attempt at humour).

On the advice of the friendly barman Darnell, Bailey chose a Hurricane (a blend of rums, orange, pineapple and over-proof rum) and it was strong.  Any drink made with Wray and Nephew Overproof rum (ABV 63%) is going to pack a punch; apparently it accounts for more than 90% of all  rum sold in Jamaica!  

Darnell mixing our drinks - he knows his stuff

The problem was that the fruity taste masked the potency and it wasn’t long before Bailey was grateful that the seats at the bar were the chair types with backs on them.

Our next drink was ordered ‘off-menu’ (if it’s good enough for celebrities it’s good enough for us). Darnell concocted something that he likes to drink himself – from memory (hazy memory) I think it was rum-based with blackberry juice, nutmeg and cane sugar.   I liked it a lot – I just wished that I was drinking it on a Caribbean beach rather than sub-zero Southgate in January.

Deciding that we weren’t sober enough to appreciate any more cocktails we called it a night until our next visit: maybe there won’t even be a Long Island Iced Tea ordered too. Now that really would be a Maze-inn (groan).

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The Maze Inn
7 Chase Side, Southgate N14 5BP
www.mazeinn.co.uk

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BYOC Camden - A 1920s speakeasy without the hangovers...

Back in October my trusty drinking sidekick and I ventured out one wet Thursday evening to try a new cocktail bar. I have been meaning to write this up for some time, but as she has a better knowledge of dive bars and drinking establishments on the sound side (that will be you America) of the Atlantic she beat me to the punch and has written up her thoughts already.

For this guest post, I say thank you Bailey, I'm just staggered she could remember enough of the night! What is weird is that she has also written with the voices in her head in brackets - I worry for her sanity at times....

Bailey's thoughts on BYOC Camden

Calling itself 'an escape from the modern world' BYOC (Bring Your Own Cocktail) Camden is a basement cocktail bar in Camden High Street with a 1920s theme. What makes it different from other cocktail bars is its concept that you book a two hour slot, pay £25 and bring along a bottle of your favourite spirit and the expert bartenders create unlimited cocktails with said bottle of spirits.

So should you bother booking ahead and going to the trouble of taking a bottle of spirits out with you? On the evidence of our visit in October, not long after their opening, the answer is a definite yes. Clearly styled on a Prohibition era USA illegal drinking den, it pretty much nails that seedy but sexy vibe without venturing into theme park territory.

Following a trend originating in New York for speakeasy style bars that are deliberately hard to find, we failed at first, ringing the doorbell of a clearly annoyed flat resident nearby but eventually locating the unmarked entrance door.  So not exactly on the scale of a phone box in a fast food joint (hello PDT, New York, still attracting Japanese tourists 10 years after it was fashionable), but still adding to the exclusive feel.

Money and training has obviously gone on getting together a crew of bartenders who are knowledgeable but without the pretension that can sometimes come with the job at certain fashionable bars where the wealthy hang out.  The staff are friendly and take the time to ask about your preferences so that they can craft the drinks to suit individual tastes.  The only problem comes that after a couple of the delicious but strong drinks it can be a challenge to stay on your stool, let alone remember the name of your cocktail and its ingredients.

A vast array of fresh herbs, syrups, mixers and unusual ingredients are visible and on offer, we were most impressed by a home made pepper marmalade stuff that came in a jar which the barman was happy to give us a taste of. These are drinks that don't compare with ones that you could ever make at home, although you can pick up tips and advice. What they did promise at the start of the night was no hangovers and hey presto, the morning after, and even after a considerable amount we both felt fit as fiddle - Stephen did however look better!

Dive bars are great but usually the darkness is to hide the dirty toilets and sell by date on the crisps; at BYOC the low-level lighting makes the customers look more attractive and the cocktails less lethal.  And that can only be a great thing. The bars themselves are poker and blackjack tables, adding to the feeling that you're in Vegas not Camden.

So not the place to drop in for a quick drink on a whim, but if you want great cocktails and a great time this place can't be beaten.  If you can find it that is!   

9-11, Basement Camden High Street North London

Website: www.byoc.co.uk/camden

Beautykinguk's recommended spirits to take to BYoC Camden are:

• Hendricks Gin
• Grey Goose Vodka
• Johnny Walker Black Label

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