Personally, I am more of a restaurant kind of person than the type to frequent bars and pubs. Rowdy and crowded are words that spring to mind, but a recent visit to Archer Street was a complete breath of fresh air. Situated on a quiet side street in Soho, the bar feels elegant and refined from the very moment you step through their doors.
The cream-coloured walls, the sumptuous sofas and gorgeous floral displays add a sense of calm and relaxation to proceedings. This is very much a high-end, lux experience as you can imagine from the glassed cabinets with expensive looking Champagne bottles.
The array of beverage options are dazzling, but I would recommend trying out their innovative cocktail list. Apart from classics, they are currently offering winter cocktails from their talented barmen. I tried a very complex-tasting Smells Like Gin Spirit which had Plymouth gin, Lanique liquor and St Germain topped with Champagne. They used a coupe which was probably to let the beautiful aromas excite your olfactory senses, although a Champagne flute might have been better to retain the fizz?
7 Days was a soothing, sophisticated creation with Havana 7, crème de Figue and apple juice, stirred with a dash of Whiskey Barrel Bitters. The type of classy drink for someone who appreciates great taste over showmanship.
They have their own take on the espresso martini with Black and Gold, which uses their own Archer Street Rum Blend and delightful Crème de cacao.
For those fearing, drinking with an empty stomach post-work, they do offer charcuterie and cheese boards as well as canapés and bowl foods for private events. The deep savoury notes from the charcuterie board we tried actually matched supremely well with the sophisticated cocktails on their menu.
However, the Archer Street experience isn’t all about just drinking. All their servers are also talented performers; so your waitress might be serving your cocktail one moment and next they will be with a microphone belting out Whitney classics in typical diva fashion. It must be a fascinating job to be their HR manager recruiting new staff; so apart from bar experience, you probably have to go through a X-factor style audition process.
Archer Street is truly a one-of-a-kind bar in London with wonderful cocktails served by hugely talented staff. Don’t stay at home to watch any reality shows, you can get the real deal at Archer Street.
baldwin@townfish.com