It’s safe to say that London is going through some sort of ‘ginaissance’, and if you’re a great purveyor of the stuff then 214 Bermondsey should be on your radar. Located on…Bermondsey Street (clue’s in the name!), this cobbled never-ending road is packed door to door with independent bars, boutiques, boulangeries, and other nice shops to pop into. It’s an interesting place, a stones throw from London Bridge station, yet feels a million miles away.
The menu at 214 is complex, for gin connoisseurs we suggest you forget your favourites as there are over 50 different versions here to try. A lot of these are boutique names, and each one comes with its own tasting notes and a list of the botanical ingredients involved. If you like your spirit pure, ‘214 Tonic’ the bars own creation, is the perfect compliment to bring out the true flavours of gin.
[easy-image-collage id=99386]If you’re a gin novice (and greedy) you’ll love the gin flights. Each flight contains a collection of three gins. Numbered 1 to 3, the names are sealed in an envelope until you’ve made your decision of which is which from the descriptive tasting notes. When we took ours on, we were scientifically sure we got the order right. Seconds later we found we were completely wrong, but completely in love with gin.
Once you’re in the gin swing, move on to the cocktails. Sweet tooths should go for the Bramble, made from Bulldog gin, lemon juice and Crème de Mure, sharp on the tongue with an everlasting sweetness. And for those Don Draper’s, try the 214 Collins. Hammer gin, lemon, soda, Campari and orange bitters, it’s a blast from the classy past.
214 Bermondsey lies below Antico one of our fav Italian joints – the slow roasted pork shoulder tortellini in sage butter is to DIE for and great for soaking up the booze. With the heat wave continuing to frazzle Londoners, treat yourself to a cool down in a cool little place.
214 Bermondsey Street, SE1 3TJ
214-bermondsey.co.uk