It was nervously that I arrived at the Forge and Foundry last week, for a dinner to launch their newest cocktail, the Espresso Martini. For a coffee-avoider such as myself, this was a relatively daunting drink, but one that slipped down a real treat, particularly after the first one.
We met for drinks before the dinner, and the barman talked us through the recipe. The cocktail is a creation of the legendary Dick Bradsell, the “cocktail king” of 1980s London. It requires one and a half measures vodka, half a measure Kalhua, and the all-important measure of fresh espresso. The source of the particular espresso used by the Forge and Foundry is as charming as it is local. George, an elderly owner of a café located a few doors down from the restaurant, has been roasting a secret blend of Arabica beans for 36 years. The roasters he uses were built between 85 and 100 years ago, and luckily he can keep them in perfect working order, given his training as a mechanic in earlier life. Every day, he wanders down to the Forge and Foundry, and has coffee with the barmen there, and of course tinkers with the machines, offering advice on the coarseness of the grind, and the amount of water required.
The cocktail itself is surprisingly smooth, and despite not being a coffee aficionado, I found myself really warming to the espresso bitterness that perfectly complemented the smoothness of the vodka and the sweetness of the Kalhua. The second, and third went down even more nicely, and each glass was met with sounds of approval from all round the table.
The dinner itself was average, unfortunately, and didn’t quite live up to the promise of the cocktails. The gourmet ploughman’s platters were solid but rather uninspiring, with the Blacksticks blue cheese and Keens mature cheddar proving to be the highlight. The honey-roast and Parma hams were everything you would expect, and nothing more. For the main course, I chose the duck breast, served with an orange sauce, cocoa powder and plantain chips. The duck was a little overcooked, and the plantain chips had no reason to be on the plate. Texturally they were more like casino chips than edible ones. My companions at the table opted for the sea bass, and that looked a better decision. The highlight was undoubtedly the desserts, all round the table. My chocolate marquise with vanilla cream, hazelnuts, saffron marshmallow and strawberry sauce was divine, and the pastry chef Juan Pablo really impressed with his other offerings of Tocino del Cielo – a Spanish crème caramel dish – and the Lady Grey tea cake, with a nutty centre and wonderful “white chocolate soup”.
All in all, the Espresso Martini itself was a great surprise, and well worth a try, and the dessert section really was the jewel in the menu’s crown. Some shortcomings in the savoury offerings, however, meant that this was a slightly disappointing meal.
More information here. The Forge has just launched a new music event every Saturday called Fired Up at the Forge. With free entry from 7.30pm, it will play host to the best of new and breaking talent across the UK, focusing on live music and DJ sets.
Written by a Thoroughly Modern Man, James Bomford.