Cocktails at the Lobby Bar, One Aldwych

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I would love to be a cocktail connoisseur; after the exquisite concoctions I tasted at One Aldwych’s Lobby bar I think I will move mixology classes up a few spaces on my to do list.

The hotel itself at One Aldwych is awe inspiring: grand, classy and luxurious… it is the ideal place to sip the night away. We were there on a Friday night, the Lobby Bar was buzzing and as we tucked into our drinks, I couldn’t think of a better, more civilised way to spend a Friday evening.

They serve grown up cocktails here, wonderfully artistic drinks that are inventive and delicious. Head Bartender Walter Pintus is a genius behind the bar, mixing up alternative ingredients to create mysterious but magical drinks, appealing to every palate.

After copious amounts of plump green olives and peppered cashews had sufficiently lined our stomaches we received round one of cocktails.

Plum Martini – Bombay Sapphire gin blended with fresh plums, sweetened with a touch of elderflower cordial.

True Unique – Gentleman Jack Rare Tennessee whiskey stirred with fresh apple, ginger and juniper berries and flambeed with Taylor.

These straight up drinks were strong and stern, not for the faint hearted. The True Unique was warm and sensuous with an impressive ball of ice cooling the tumbler and a corkscrew curl of orange peel beautifying the rim. The Plum Martini was more girly, a gorgeous fuchsia hue, with delicately sliced plum fanned across the side, adorning the fruity drink. The flavours were refined and comforting and immediately I felt relaxed.

Before round two we indulged in a little food, bar plates at One Aldwych are a must. Wooden boards were presented: Goujons of pollock with hand cut chips and tartare sauce and Lamb kebabs with pickled chillies, chilli sauce and mint yoghurt. Not what I would describe as ‘Bar Food’, more of a warm feast fit for a king. And thank goodness the food was substantial as there were many more cocktails to come…

One Spritzer – Raspberries and home-made rhubarb syrup blended with aromatic Bitters and topped up with Champagne. Served long and very cold.

Purity – Purity grapefruit infusion shaken with elderflower, orange and ginger liqueur. Served cold in a martini glass.

The next two cocktails we tried are apparently ‘favourites’ amongst regulars, and when they arrived I could see why. Huge drama is involved with the One Spritzer, just my kind of drink. Arriving in a bubbling, smoking conical beaker, the bright pink liquid is poured carefully into a mini glass, it is intensely flavoured with a bitter aftertaste. Purity looked curious in a martini glass, crystal clear and subtler in taste than the previous drinks. The combination of tart grapefruit, pungent ginger, sweet syrupy elderflower and acidic orange mixes divinely to create a very drinkable and enjoyable cocktail.

To finish off the evening, we couldn’t resist trying the sweetest, creamiest cocktails on the menu for our third and final drink.

Strawberry Delight – Fresh strawberries, strawberry vodka, Creme de Framboise liqueur, Mozart Gold chocolate liqueur and fresh cream.

Sweet Temptation – Sloane’s gin shaken with lemon sorbet, pistachio liqueur and almond oil. Served in a martini glass.

I was in my element with the fabulous dessert cocktails. Delightfully decorated glasses arrived, almost too pretty to drink (see above). The Strawberry Delight was super sweet, a heavenly mix of creamy and fruity components, a little too rich for me though. The Sweet Temptation was arguably the best drink of the night, the martini glass rim was coated in what tasted like desiccated coconut, the pale green drink, a wonderfully unique alcohol-fuelled pistachio dream.

We received exemplary service all night, the dear waiter stopped by every couple of minutes to check our every wish had been granted. I could have sat (or lay) at the Lobby Bar all night, trying every characterful cocktail on the menu. At One Aldwych you will find a beautiful bar, beautiful booze and beautiful beings.

Visit the One Aldwych website here.

Hot on the Highstreet Week 96: Spring Beauty Must Haves

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The clocks have gone forward and spring is upon us… I have found and tried some of the best beauty products designed to prep, prime and plump your skin, face and hair ready for the new season.

I love the Shu Uemura make up range so it is no surprise that I found the ART OF HAIR care equally effective. These high end products are results driven and will not let you down… you can rarely purchase them in high street stores, instead the brand prefers to be stocked by the salons that use them and they can also be bought online. Shu Uemura hair care is expensive but worth every penny. The Silk Bloom restorative shampoo (£24) and conditioner (£32) are the perfect way to start your hair routine. Before blowdrying apply Satin Design Polishing Milk (£22) which will create a gorgeous shine and fluid movement. I also love the Shu Ample Angora (£16.75), a voluminizing light foam which adds a graceful wave to my hair.

For further styling, use your little black bottle of Nicky Clarke’s newest product, the backcombing dust ‘Tease Me’ (£14.50) to create a messy hairstyle with texture and volume. Simple apply to the roots and fluff up.

Thalgo is not a brand I’ve heard of before now. Leaders in marine beauty, they use active sea ingredients to create transforming skin products. I was very pleased to discover their Energising Vitality Cream (£33.20) which is ideal for my dehydrated skin providing an instant moisture lift and, thanks to the enriching vitamins, leave the skin dewy and vibrant. I adore the Thalgo Reviving Marine Mist (£24.50) too because it is so easy to apply and to use wherever whenever. It is a refreshing spray that will ensure your skin receives the therapeutic benefits of the sea, without leaving home.

The SUPER range by Dr Nicholas Perricone substitutes the toning step of your skin routine with activating. These revolutionary products use the power of superfoods to give your skin an essential boost, hydrating and ensuring a springtime glow. Displayed in stylishly simple bottles, I have tried the Brightening Activator, a treatment prep with Melon Carotenoids (£28.50), it gave my skin a healthy glow all day, and seems to improve with each day you continue to use it.

The most appropriate spring product though is Perricone MD No Sun Tanner (£54). This product naturally smooths, tones and develops sun kissed skin. The products promises to avoid the usual self tanning dilemmas – no stickiness, unpleasant odours nor streaks. Presented in a very smart glass bottle, it is a luxurious designer self tanner that will prepare your pasty legs for their first uncovered spring outing. I love the coconut smell and found after a few days of use I had a lovely sun kissed colour. This is my favourite spring must buy product.

I’m sure I don’t need to introduce you to the Philip Kingsley products, as this famed hairdressers range is known amongst beauty lovers as the vital hair products. Kingsley is a leading authority on hair health, his products have had miraculous effects on my bleach damaged hair. The carefully concocted products sooth and energise tired hair and scalp. The Scalp Toner (£17.90) is a particularly wonderful product which supplies the scalp with stimulating stringent and antibacterial benefits, hoping to promote growth. The leave in formula applied after washing has a relaxing effect. With my blonde hair I prefer to wear it curly, which is when the Philip Kingsley’s weatherproof hairspray (£9.50) comes in handy. This multi-purpose hairspray is perfect to prepare for unexpected spring showers and has a flexible lasting hold.

Geilly Green are one of my very favourite salons, offering wonderful treatments and their own range of luxurious products. I recently tried their natural hand and body wash, an indulgent grapefruit and cassis flavoured shower gel (£12) that will leave you feeling silky and smooth and smelling delicious.

These are just a few of my favourites for spring, I’d love to hear about what you use to prepare your skin and hair for the warmer months!

THOROUGHLY MODERN MAN: An Ideal Husband, Rosemary Branch Theatre

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Who knew how much theatre North East London had to offer?  Call me ignorant but I have been amazed by the amount and variety of fringe productions I have seen here recently, particularly in the Islington/Angel area.  Although it may take you a little bit longer to come upon the Rosemary Branch Theatre, this cosy pub venue offers every bit as much entertainment as its N1 comrades.  The upstairs performance space is almost cubic in shape, with the effect that, regardless of where you are sitting, you will feel well in on the action.

Oscar Wilde’s comedic stage play, ‘An Ideal Husband’, deals candidly with themes of bribery and corruption; issues that remain constantly relevant through the passing of time, this being no more aptly illustrated than the five film adaptations that have been produced of this play.  I cannot, however, see this story being better told than in its stage form, and while the simplicity with which this cast portrayed the tale was refreshing, the action was occasionally on the cusp of becoming oversimplified.  In fairness, this was not helped by the fact that the play essentially relies on one storyline, with a light smattering of sub-plot emerging only in the second act.  The one piece of visible set, which appeared to be some kind of twisted branch doorway, was only made use of on one isolated occasion, which made me question the necessity of any set at all; perhaps a blank canvas of a stage would have been more effective.

The actors performed admirably, especially given that there was nowhere to hide, and it was the female contingent that truly stole the show.  Mrs Cheveley, the snake in the grass who attempts to ruin a politician’s successful career by producing incriminating evidence about his past, was cunningly portrayed by Sheridan Johnson, although I felt that at points she was somewhat guarded.  Rose Robinson’s conception of Gertrude Chiltern effectively portrayed an innocent who puts up a front of haughtiness, and her comic timing was impeccable.  The star for me was Emily MacDonald, who played Mabel Chiltern.  The combination of her dry wit and cynicism drew lots of well-deserved guffaws from the audience.  The strength of the female actors does not mean that the men performed weakly; they were merely outshone by their leading ladies.

This is a tale of backbiting and underhanded tactics, interspersed with no shortage of comic moments, which eventually arrives at a triumphant climax.  I thoroughly recommend it to you.

An Ideal Husband continues at the Rosemary Branch Theatre until 7th April, book here.

Written by a Thoroughly Modern Man, Mark McCloskey.