Dark, Divey and Lovely. Not much more I can say about this place that hasn't been said already. The hour was late and the day was off peak when I found myself strolling in to meet a couple of CM pals who were already well into their first (or second) round of drinks.
Frequented by an eclectic mix of in the know hipsters and older locals, the crowd appeared to be unified by their liquor lust and for a Sunday evening the conversations seemed to be lively.
Bar staff were attentive and made their way around for drink orders "in time" however there were a couple of times where I felt ignored while they chatted amongst themselves.
Those who follow my reviewing ways know that my benchmark for a cocktail bar is how they perform on their preparation of an Old Fashioned. The Old Fashioned here was less on the alcohol side and more on the sweet side (but not an unpleasant level of sweet).
The standard maraschino cherry and orange zest were added, however towards the end of the drink I soon discovered a little secret that sets apart this Old Fashioneds from others - a wedge of citrus. I can't be sure whether it was grapefruit or orange (I'll be sure to inspect next time) but it was either presoaked in bourbon/bitters, due to it's dark brown colour and heavy alcoholic taste and aroma OR it had absorbed the contents of the drink during preparation.
Interesting...
Verdict. A fair/good OF, not the best and far better than the worst - certainly one that leaves me curious and intrigued enough to venture back for another go!
It's cash only, so stock your bill fold before you get there, or be ready to pay the ATM piper a hefty fee.