The Shop is an absolute gem. This bar is just across the road from Kensal Rise Station where the happy orange Overground line transports me home in 9 minutes, making it joyfully easy to visit.
I instantly felt at ease when I walked into this casual little drinking den. Arty types sit nonchalantly on wooden chairs, and the bar is busy with friends catching up and chatting with the barman. There is a real sense of community and I could tell the locals are proud and appreciative of this creative hang-out. This is how bars should be.
Disappointingly there is very little info on their website, the team simply describe themselves: “The Shop is all about cocktails in jam-jars and milk-bottles. It’s about locally sourced bar food. It’s about choice music, photography, furniture and art. It’s your local shop!”
The artwork is cool and original, if a little wild, but suits the place well. Much of it is for sale, so if you fall in love with a piece it could be yours. The weekend food served at The Shop sounds great, when we went along they were hosting the Wembley based soup company, North & South as a pop-up, so we didn’t get to try their regular grub. I can vouch for the homemade soup, particularly Sweet potato and fiery ginger (no gluten or dairy) which was full of flavour but low on fat, and the future pop-ups sound promising too, so you shouldn’t ever go hungry.
But it is the cocktails in jam jars and milk bottles at The Shop that have got people talking. And it is not only the presentation which is cool, these drinks taste exceptionally good too, and the bar staff seem to have a vast knowledge of innovative mixology.
Here’s what we tried:
Cash Back £7.50 Flor de Cana rum shaken with lime, passionfruit and Aperol
This was a beautifully balanced drink, the bitter Aperol and sweet passionfruit work surprisingly well together. The rum and lime give the exotic Caribbean holiday feel!
Shop Assistant £8 Fresh raspberries with tequila lime and agave, shaken and topped with a little light beer
This was a light and fruity drink. Raspberry pips will get stuck in your teeth but it’s worth it, this cocktail made me long for summer and carefree afternoons in the sunshine; it is very moreish.
Tommys £7.50 100% Agave tequila from Calle 23 shaken with fresh lime and agave syrup
This is a classic drink and good for the warier cocktail drinker. Sweet and subtle it will disappear before you know it.
Once Loved £8.50 Kraken rum, orange, pineapple and coconut skaken with orange bitters and apricot
Presented in a big milk bottle with a custom made embossed ‘The Shop’ milk cap!, the prospect of finishing this drink is rather daunting. Turns out, it’s not that difficult, a strong, sweet and comforting creamy cocktail mixed with exotic citrus fruits and cold ice. This is the best beach cooler I’ve ever tried.
The names are great, and make the drinks sound instantly intriguing. All the cocktails are served long-ish so are lighter than you might expect and are perfect for drinking any time of day!
I can imagine nothing better than having The Shop as your local… great vibe, awesome cocktails and real personality, an all round winner!
More information here.