Speak-easy bars are quickly (but silently) taking over the city at the moment. You can barely wander down a quiet road without being asked if you're looking for Fat Sam's Grand Slam or some such. Frankly, in recent months we have began to feel privileged to grab a drink in the open air in a good old-fashioned public house serving drinks under license and without a password/secret door/backwards handshake or super-injunction in sight. In short, we were bored with speaking easy and all that it had to offer.
Then we found Purl.
The Purl barman was a little theatrical with his potions
Purl is sort of a speak-easy - but the acceptable sort that has a doorman out front and a large, almost obtuse sign attracting passers-by. It wasn't quite a public bar as reservations are recommended on Thursdays-Saturdays, but there was no dress-code, Tallulah did not need to be your name and, most importantly, we did not need to learn that weird handshake where you stroke the other person's palm. Purl felt pretty normal - no dress-code either.
Inside, it's quaint - Victorian in places (but not too much to distract) but with discreet corners rather than open bar areas for mingling. To be honest - you'll be so pre-occupied with the drinks, chatting to strangers or friends becomes secondary when faced with an Aged Rob Roy, a Blue Blazer or a Colonel Sanders Boiler Maker. For the uninitiated, those are all cocktails - the only tipple you should drink here as they are molecular-concoctions fizzing, bubbling and dazzling away. They are quirky, fun and (with absinthe foam on hand) powerful. They really are fantastic - as much to absorb with the eyes and ears as the mouth. A visit here will make you feel alive and full of youthful wonderment no longer thinking of impossibility. Wow... that was massive hyperbole. It's a bar ffs. It's good fun with impressive cocktails and actually really cheap (compared to London places) - especially for all the theatre that comes along with it.
Seriously - go to Purl and embrace the nicer side of speaking-easy.
http://www.purl-london.com/home#!__home
Then we found Purl.
The Purl barman was a little theatrical with his potions
Purl is sort of a speak-easy - but the acceptable sort that has a doorman out front and a large, almost obtuse sign attracting passers-by. It wasn't quite a public bar as reservations are recommended on Thursdays-Saturdays, but there was no dress-code, Tallulah did not need to be your name and, most importantly, we did not need to learn that weird handshake where you stroke the other person's palm. Purl felt pretty normal - no dress-code either.
Inside, it's quaint - Victorian in places (but not too much to distract) but with discreet corners rather than open bar areas for mingling. To be honest - you'll be so pre-occupied with the drinks, chatting to strangers or friends becomes secondary when faced with an Aged Rob Roy, a Blue Blazer or a Colonel Sanders Boiler Maker. For the uninitiated, those are all cocktails - the only tipple you should drink here as they are molecular-concoctions fizzing, bubbling and dazzling away. They are quirky, fun and (with absinthe foam on hand) powerful. They really are fantastic - as much to absorb with the eyes and ears as the mouth. A visit here will make you feel alive and full of youthful wonderment no longer thinking of impossibility. Wow... that was massive hyperbole. It's a bar ffs. It's good fun with impressive cocktails and actually really cheap (compared to London places) - especially for all the theatre that comes along with it.
Seriously - go to Purl and embrace the nicer side of speaking-easy.
http://www.purl-london.com/home#!__home
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