Tag Archives: East London

The Fringe, Olympics Private Members Club, East London

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For those of you who, like me, are obscenely bitter about the lack of Olympics tickets in your possession, there is another way to experience Britain’s glorious games this summer…

The Fringe is set to be the coolest pop-up private members’ club – located just 100 metres from the Olympic Park entrance you will hear every bit of the action while indulging and relaxing in this stylish venue. It is set in a stunning four storey mid 20th Century Victorian stable; the building has undergone an extensive make-over so that the club is able to provide every amenity and luxury you could wish for. Located in Swan Wharf, it is far away from the London I know so well and my visit there was certainly not simple, but the party was definitely worth the trek.

The venue is authentically East End but encompasses modern London, embracing international culture and design. Select artist exhibitions take over some of the private rooms and suites, including works by renowned artist Tim Flach, who shows his Equus collection and Charlotte Cory, with her limited edition ‘Olympic’ Victorian photographic prints. It is a design-led space, offering an eclectic mix of high-end, vintage and bespoke furniture, fittings and lighting. Bespoke pieces from stunning French design house Baccarat will fit out the Fringe 2012 penthouse, with famed Philippe Stark crystal chandeliers and Swiss furniture designer Vitra’s select pieces throughout the venue. For food and drink they have brought in the very best. Specialist event caterers “Rhubarb” are in partnership with the Fringe 2012 and renowned bar operators Sweet & Chilli bring their unique brand of fine drinking to the experience.

We joined the hordes of press last week for the opening night, a chance to gobble canapés, drink champagne and most importantly have a sneak preview of the exciting space. Arriving from the special taxi service from Hackney Wick station, the ground floor was already buzzing. Glamorous women handed out delicious Ginford Christie and Olympic Orchard cocktails while a talk was given about the venue. We were then invited on staggered tours to view the building, which is still very much a chaotic work in progress. I felt a little concerned that they only have four weeks to finish their ambitious plans, but the results promise to be spectacular.

Finally we wandered up to the top floor, for the piece de resistance Penthouse. It is a lovely bright and airy room with awesome views of the Olympic Stadium and grounds. It was hard to imagine the hype and frenzy of the events when it was so silent outside, but I anticipate this room being an exhilarating place to experience the games. Moet champagne flowed for opening night and Rhubarb Catering’s canapés steadily emerged from the kitchen: lobster cornets, foie gras lollipops, roast lamb with rosemary, hot Welsh rarebit bites, and many more exceedingly yummy snackettes. We were treated like royalty and I soaked up the experience knowing I was unlikely to be rich or cool enough to get a ticket when The Fringe is open for real!

Goodie bags were given out with miniature bottles of Belvedere citrus vodka and bags of Rhubarb chocolates, a perfect nightcap for the journey home!

Open for just 51 days (20th July – 9th September) space at The Fringe is limited, so I’d recommend booking now to secure your place in this exclusive club. More information here.

Swan Wharf, E3 2NG (Pre-booking only)

Individual tickets start from £90 per day with the option of multiple day tickets and group bookings. The top two floors are available for private bookings and events, which can be tailored to meet personalized entertaining needs. Bespoke food and drink is available for both floors. The top floor Penthouse offers a private terrace and concierge service making it an ideal flexible, entertaining space. The venue’s four floors boast 40,000 square feet holding up to 2,500 occupants and will serve as an all day and all night retreat from 9.00am until 2.00am. The Fringe 2012 offers premium food, bar and cocktail lounges and LCD screens broadcasting the main Olympic events as well as the best of British food at the ‘Great British Food Market’.

Callooh Callay Cocktails, Shoreditch

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A fellow blogger recommended Callooh Callay to me as a must try cocktail emporium in London… how could I resist an endorsement like that? Down Rivington Street, and barely a sign outside… I’m learning that in this city the best bars are always inconspicuous. Inside it is much smarter, moody lighting and glittery candles illuminating the alluring bar. We were led through to a more superior room, where the customers who have made a booking can enjoy table service and a sophisticated place to sip their cocktails. This room is decorated divinely with art deco style ornaments, I felt like I was sitting in an elegant cabaret venue.

The menu, which looks rather like an Ikea instruction leaflet, is titled ‘How to construct your perfect night out’. Compiled by the mixology experts, this guide explains the cocktails and their unique recipes. The drinks are wildly inventive, each title is a humorous play on words… they are certainly not conventional and it would be frowned upon to order a classic. So I relished the eccentricity and ordered the most bizarre concoctions on offer!

Forty Chew and Blow £8.50
Yum Yum, Bubble gum. 42 Below vodka with a dash of Campari and home-made Hubba Bubba syrup.

A dangerously translucent liquid with a curl of orange peel… I knew this was going to be a strong one. This unusual drink is made with Calooh Callay’s very own bubble gum flavoured syrup which miraculously works quite well specially mixed with this high quality vodka.  I still don’t know what ‘Yum Yum’ is, or whether it is simply a suggestion of it’s taste (?!) but either this ingredient or the Campari gave the cocktail an unpleasant bitter aftertaste that rather spoiled it for me.

Gooseberry Fool £9
A grown-up take on a childhood dessert. Beefeater gin with Aba pisco, Swedish gooseberry jam, fresh lemon juice, Bob’s vanilla bitters and egg white. Dusted with nutmeg.

This was delicious. Sweet and aromatic with a spicy touch of nutmeg, the flavours combined well. The inclusion of egg white made the whole cocktail much smoother with a silky texture.

Anise and Nephew £9
A punchy daiquiri style drink using Wray & Nephew rum, Velvet Falernum, fresh pineapple and lime juice with Pernod Absinthe.

I love daiquiris, when made well they are perhaps my favourite cocktail, in fact anything rum based usually pleases me! Conveniently the daiquiri recipe lends itself to being customised with different flavours and ingredients. Falernum (a sweet syrup from the Caribbean) and pineapple juice add the sweetness to this drink contrasting with the harsher acidic lime. The Absinthe adds a lovely kick to the aftertaste.

Top Hat £8.50
An Autumnal glass of Bacardi Superior rum with lime juice and ginger cordial. Sweetened with a Breton Cidre and honey reduction and Bob’s Abbotts bitters with a Crème de Myrtille float.

The ‘Top Hat’ was the only long cocktail we tried… a fabulous adaptation of the mojito. Fruity and exotic and wonderfully refreshing. Unlike the mojito, this cocktail is sweetened with natural honey which gives the taste a satisfying warmth.

Callooh Callay is stylish and exclusive though the environment is a tad pretentious. If you are a cocktail fan it is definitely worth a visit… the cocktails are imaginative, artistic and original, and most of them taste really good too. Callooh Callay change their menu bi-annually and in April a new list of concoctions arrives, so be sure to check that out. Oh and I should mention ‘popcorn of the week’ on the bar menu… perhaps a snack to try with your cocktail?

Ps. Be sure to check out the cassette tape decorated toilets.

Nude Espresso, Brick Lane

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My brother home from university for a weekend in London and needing some girly help choosing shoes, I jumped at the chance to accompany him and my mum to Brick Lane. The familiar London drizzle was back after a week of unusually pleasant winter sunshine and at 10.30am on this cold Saturday morning, a warm shelter and fresh coffee were the only things on our minds… the shops could wait.

Spying Nude Espresso on Hanbury Street we ducked inside. The place is inviting and homely with a large counter towards the front for take-out or stay-in orders. Beyond the croissants, a giant black board displays the possible Brunch options. Further back, numerous little tables are available for visitors. We sat and a waiter instantly appeared to take our order. There is a hint of East London quirkiness but thankfully Nude Espresso is not too cool for comfort.

The coffee was a bit slow arriving though our waiter was polite and apologetic for the delay… apparently they dropped and lost our order slip!? Latte and Cappuccinos eventually arrived, aromatic, creamy and well balanced… though a note to skinny drinkers Nude Espresso only offer whole milk or semi-skimmed, no skimmed. Apparently Nude Espresso are London’s leading micro-roastery, they have a passion for providing the best product possible, carefully sourcing the coffee beans from small farms in Brazil, Costa Rica and Ethiopia. The name – Nude Espresso – explains their desire to go back to the basics of coffee, sourcing, producing and roasting quality raw ingredients in order to create an unbeatable cup of coffee for the customer.

Nude Espresso have a tempting array of fresh pastries to accompany their hot drinks… I chose the plump looking pain au chocolat, which was perfectly fluffy and airy with a generous chunk of dark chocolate running through it – ideal for coffee dipping… and so good my mum ended up stealing half!

Next time you are browsing in Brick Lane don’t settle for the lukewarm cups from the street stalls, visit Nude Espresso for a heartfelt cup of coffee, made with TLC every step of the process.

Visit the Nude Espresso website here for more information.