There’s a new(ish) cocktail bar opened on Old Street, called The Gibson. In the place of a previously old and dark pub, it is based around the Gibson cocktail, a variant of the Martini – made with gin, vermouth and an onion.
It was the perfect place to meet my pal Joe, who I hadn’t seen since just before Christmas. I’d been ‘warned’ that this wasn’t your average cocktail bar, and that advice turned out to be very right.
The inside of the bar is gorgeous, harking back to 1930’s New York, with mirrored tables and low seating. The staff are fab – attentive, without being overbearing and keen to help you choose the right thing. The challenge is, the menu is very diverse. There are barely any straightforward mixes on the list, everything seems to have tons of ingredients and it takes quite a while to choose.
I went for a classic vodka martini to start, followed by the more adventurous Gibson Girl. It was nice, but I couldn’t have had two as it has quite a strong flavour. I then plumped for something I can’t remember the name of. It came served in a ceramic onion, and to be honest I had to give up and send it back, as it wasn’t to my taste. The bar were great and didn’t charge me for it (I’d happily have paid, after all it was my choice) which was very generous. They also did the same for Joe, who had ordered something that appeared to be more akin to a desert than a cocktail (let’s just say, it had a ‘chocolate rim’!!)
We had a great night, chatting about anything and everything and I would definitely go back to the bar, for the staff the ambiance and the atmosphere, but I would most likely stick to a classic martini or be very careful about my next adventurous choice. Check out the menu.
