A normal bar you would expect as it hosts one of the top 50 restaurants in Asia or it might be the other way around but nonetheless both preform outstanding. If you have the chance, go for drinks before or after your dinner as you won’t be disappointed.
Giacomo Cocktail
By the time I was there, Kamil Foltan was still being in charge of the bar and he showed us an excellent time and gave us the grand tour of the place. They host parties upstairs, but downstairs you enter a rather bright space. The bar is in one corner, bottles hanging from the ceiling and the wall is covered in green tiles. The floor is built from mosaic tiles with a slight oriental touch. One can sit at the bar on metallic wooden bar chairs or grab one of the smaller tables in the lengthy designed room. Carbon filament lamps set the mood and jazz is playing in the background. Through an open space you enter the restaurant. You can also enjoy some small bar snacks which are excellent but rather pricey in my opinion. The drinks menu is only one sheet of paper that describes the various styles in a mind map architecture. You select your drinks according to your preference of taste which allows to choose wisely and the chance is good that you enjoy what you selected.
Daruma Mazuma
Being from the hospitality industry, Penhaligons is known for hotel amenities and fragrances and the specially designed bottles are very easy to recognise. Sartorial, one of the scents was used to rebuild the fragrance in a cocktail. I have visited Fragrances in Berlin before, which was a bit of a disappointment but I gave that one another try. Kamil told me it took him 6 months, together with the master perfumer from Penhaligons to compose that special drink which is served in the original bottle. It is hard to describe but it was light, very delicate with a hint of dryness but balanced out with a soft sweetness almost like they used the empty bottle which still holds a hint of the original scent. An excellent creation which opens your eyes for unusual tastes. Another time we went I selected a Bloody Mary, since it was afternoon but it was not on the menu but the kitchen had homemade clarified tomato juice. An improvised Bloody Mary which turned out to be one of the best I have ever had. Definitely worth visiting.
Images: © Tippling Club
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