28th February 2007
Glamour gone garish
There seems to be an endless stream of cocktail bars in London these days; a deluge of below-par Mojitos and caipirinhas populate the drinks menus of every blanch wood and aluminium establishment claiming (but never delivering) cocktail status- However mint drowned in ice and low grade rum, does not a cocktail make...
Thankfully, amid these pumped up pretenders, there are those that still manage to do something special and interesting. London is filled with gem's in unusual places. Annex 3's sister, Loungelover, is tucked away on an otherwise deserted street off of the dingiest part of Commercial Road and still provides some of the most creative and tasty drinks around. It's decor throws a harsh parellel to its' surroundings; a true Narnian affair of Hippopotami, enormous candles and fairytale cottages, surrounded by rubbish-strewn streets and low built commercial premises.
Annex 3, the newest venture of Hassan Abdullah, Michel Lassere and Stefan Karlson, creators of Le Trois Garcon and the aforementioned Loungelover, is a new adventure in interior frolics, coupled with equally adventurous cocktails.
When I say adventurous- think Wasabi martini's, Sake with rhubarb and fresh passion fruit coupled with chestnut liqueur. Beyond this Annex follows the standards well- the martini is good (although a tendency towards the overdry) and the other stalwarts stand up just as well; the champagne beer is a gimmick, but not the worst tasting.
In all honesty the only thing that lets this place is location. It provides a thankful replacement for Mash round the corner, but it's precisely its accessability that let's it down, attracting a crowd of Media Agencies and Media owners seeking to impress. As much as this crowd is a part of London (and I'm sure a necessary one!) it's a surefire killer for a bar, driving out the patronage of perhaps a longer term punter, in favour of a momentarily higher value, but all together more flighty, crowd.
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