Harry Gordon's Bar

My connection with Selfridges is that of a steady long-term relationship.

When times are good they’re really good, we may argue every now and again when I have to queue to demand his time or his service is sloppy but all in all I know I can bank on him when times are rough [or I’ve left gifts to the last minute!] and he will rarely lead me astray [floor plan memorized to a T.]

After whizzing around the store collecting a plethora of canary yellow bags and artfully balancing them on each shoulder, it was time to stop and refuel. My usual haunt, Hix, seemed to be bursting at the seams and in an attempt to spicing up the variety in my life- I went in search of a new oasis in which to quench my thirst and lift my spirits [lift and pour straight into a glass that is.] 

    

Tired with feet singing from the pain that taking my new moccasins out for a spin caused, in the distance swung a glimmer of hope.

Enter... Harry Gordon’s Bar.       

The bar is small in size and very understated, so it didn't blow my mind at first- but as any lady will know- the feet pain will not wait.

Thankful for finally finding a seat, the bags were dropped swiftly to the floor and I was ready to work my way one by one through each of the innovative cocktails. Our colorful attired friend came bounding over accessorized with a smile, and was absolutely delightful in helping us with cocktail selections.

Upon attacking the complimentary savoury popcorn [tomato and mozzarella flavoured- a cheats pizza in a small bite of air] we made our selection and the battle began:

Round 1: The Naked Blush and The Old Fashioned. [No prizes for guessing which was the male and which was the female choice!]

The cocktails were strong but definitely well disguised and smoothly mixed so we glugged away- only later feeling the true effects as the volume of our conversation went from 4 to off the scales as the measure on the glass got fainter.

Post shamelessly requesting consistent top up’s of the magical pizza popcorn, our amazing waiter did what we were all hoping he would and tipped the bag into a fish bowl sized vessel and left us scavengers to incessantly pick.  

Round 2: The House Gin Fizz and The Sparkling Belle- both of which were absolutely scrumptious! 

Someone else clearly caught the shutterbug too...

After sampling a good selection of the cocktail menu, I think it’s fair to say that I underestimated Harry Gordon’s Bar. The staff are extremely helpful and chatty, it’s not as noisy or busy as a few of the other eateries in Selfridges and the cocktails were delectable!  

A definite must visit!  

Ice Bar London

London is a series of oxymoron’s. People charge the streets at the speed of light with no real place to go, we experience the lifestyle of a large metropolis when in actual fact one side to the other is a mere 80 minutes,  Uber cars tried and tested, and for some reason in the height of October, when I without doubt recall hearing from the weather lady that we were going to experience the coldest of cold winters, we’re seeing a sunshine soiree.

Now I’m a big fan of the sunshine, but there comes a point in the year where a girl wants to hang up her denim cut offs and snuggle up in a throw. Given the recent weather, the thought of a big snugly coat was a distant memory UNTIL I swanned through the [double] doors of London’s very own- Ice Bar.

Having just launched a new “Frozen Architecture” experience, the Ice Bar is definitely a quintessentially London experience. As you descend the stairs of the Heddon Street Hideaway, you’re draped in an, awfully fashionable, blue cape and guided into the magnificent ice bar.

The name Ice bar are not an exaggeration. Every element of this finely crafted venue are made of ice, from the drink glasses to the bar on which they’re nicely perched while eager guests zip around taking pictures of everything [yes, I was admittedly one of them.]

Having vigorously glugged down a cocktail

for the sake of warmth ofcourse, we decided to hang our capes up and proceed into the restaurant- Below Zero, located in the basement of the building. As its small in size, Below Zero has a very homely feel about it so it’s perfect for every occasion whether its an intimate date or catching up with old friends. We happened to pick the acoustic live mic evening that happens every Tuesday, definitely recommended!

One artist and 2 sumptuous glasses of Rioja later, we finally delivered our order to our keen waiter. Roast diver Scallops and Jerusalem artichoke puree  with sea vegetables was up first, and it definitely scored big with me!

The scallops were fresh and juicy and complemented well by the smooth Jerusalem artichoke puree.

Next up, along with a phenomenal glass of wine and an equally amazing performance came the roast tomato, polenta, pine nuts, pecorino and lime. 

Admittedly, I was slightly disappointed with this dish as I was expected a lot more, quite literally, from it. The portion was slightly small for the simpler array of flavors; nonetheless it was a dish that fell far short of rocking my world.  

Next came the belowzero ‘salt’ n’pepper’ prawns basted in chilli, garlic and coriander. These were phenomenal. Crispy fried prawns in a light flavoursome batter, a must for the seafood lovers! Unfortunately this seafood lover over zealously devoured the whole thing before the thought of a picture crossed my mind, yes they were that good!

For dessert, we ordered the espresso macaroons and parsnip ice cream 

and the roast chestnut and chocolate parfait.

Both were absolutely delicious and rounded off an incredible evening.

For visitors intending to go, definitely book in advance and head down on a Tuesday evening! The live music, delicious food, fabulous drinks and buzzing atmosphere are a combination not to be missed!

The Bar-Strut

It started off so simply.

“Let’s meet for a quick drink, I haven’t seen my best-friend since you’ve been back!”  

A hop, skip and intensive karaoke session on the streets of St James later- Alice fell down the rabbit hole of wonderment.

At Dstrkt we began. Having power walked from Holborn to Piccadilly at peak rush hour times, it only seemed right to reward ourselves with some delicious treats. We shimmied our way , with caution, down the dimly lit staircase into the main dining room and took our seats with an effervescent  smugness as the waiter brought over the holy scripture encased in fine Italian leather- The Wine List.

The Wine List at Dstrkt is one of my favourites. Pages of foreign wines imported from Italy to the tail end of nowhere often muddles me, so what should be a quick “yes, I’ll take the Woody Cabernet Sauvignon...” amalgamates into an exhaustive geographical study of wines from around the world. Dstrkt solves this problem. Divided into taste brackets, whether you prefer your glass to be fresh & delicate or rich & powerful, there’s a wine of choice for you!

Much to the amazement of our wonderful garcon, who was extremely attentive as we nattered away for a solid hour prior to even glancing at the menu, we were ready to order. Oxtail Sliders, Grilled Octopus and Wild Sea Bass & Confit Baby Fennel- “portions at Dstrkt aren’t sizeable- so let’s order one extra dish just incase” was the justification- really we were just hungry little piglets.

The Oxtail Sliders are a seasonal winner for me. Whenever I have ordered them the meat has been extremely succulent, the slider bun always has a winning ratio of crunchy to flavoursome soggy dough and the crunchy chorizo pieces make me want to swing from the suave light fixtures that hang above us in the interior.

  

The skin of the Wild Sea Bass could’ve been slightly crispier, in my opinion, but that aside the dish was fabulously presented and extremely flavoursome. 

What was, essentially, the wild card of our meal, the grilled octopus was lip-licking good! So much so that the extra juices were mopped up by the new season bread board from Chef Yaneff at Dstrkt!

Stomachs content and brains ever so clouded from vino abuse, we meandered across the square to The W Hotel for a round of speedy cocktails- wishful thinking as ever. 

The Wyld Bar is, perhaps, my new hangout of choice these days, particularly on a Wednesday evening. Having visited when the bar had first opened, it is safe to say that The Wyld has developed into what can only be fittingly described as “A Smooth Operation.”  Greeted by the beautiful host it promises Breezy interior, brilliant live-acoustic sessions and bountiful cocktail lists. It is the perfect place for catching up with friends (or for cocktail sampling in our case.)  A rock-tea-ni and a round of Wyld shots (Tequila, Kaffir lime sugar syrup and fresh watermelon..oh my!) later, our quick drink had turned into a cultured bar-strut. 

Fuelled by The Wyld wind beneath our wings, we bounded through the sleek black lobby interior, out of the hotel’s opulent doors and proceeded to destination unknown. When undecided on where to visit in London, I have but one simple rule- Just head north. Try it sometime! I’m not sure whether it’s the straight-up “duh!” factor or an actual geographic subliminal decision making process- but you’ll always end up somewhere brilliant! 

.

Our somewhere brilliant happened to be The Mayfair Bar at The Mayfair Hotel

Feet throbbing from our marathon bar-strut, we retired with a round of, much recommended, Watermelon Martini’s and soaked in the buzzing atmosphere of the quintessential London bar.