Nickel

nickel london

The result of four friends coming together to establish the kind of bar they would want to spend time in.

We took our inspiration from the small local village bars that are common in France, Spain and Italy but are rare to find in London.

Our menu is based on small plates influenced by modern and classic European dishes.

We work closely with Borough Wines to make sure our wine list is interesting, seasonal and appropriate to our menu.

The cocktail list is Aperetivo in style but we're more than happy to go off list.

http://www.nickel-london.com

Reviews and related sites

Test driving Nickel - a great neighbourhood bar with food | Test drive ...

Review analysis
location   food   drinks   value   reservations  

Bar snacks were particularly good value - our tomato crostini were laden with multi-coloured, intensely-flavoured tomatoes.

In addition to the Expect the menu to change regularly - the fish, for example, depends on whatever's come up from Cornwall that week.

There's an impressive cocktail list here (all are £8) and both of ours were good - a St Germain Spritz with elderflower liqueur, Prosecco and soda and a great Old Fashioned made with Woodford Reserve.

St Germain Spritz and an Old Fashioned It's always enjoyable to see local people investing in their area, opening businesses.

With such friendly service and talent in the kitchen, Nickel's opening is a good thing for Crouchenders - but worthy of a visit too if you're from further afield.

The Nickel Bar at The Ned review: If you don't get lost, the drinks will ...

Review analysis
ambience   food   drinks  

The Nickel Bar is one of seven public spots that us civilians can get into without needing to be a member or hotel guest, and they’ve upped their game, delved into the details.

The wooden bar stools are things of beauty, the bar top is magnificently marbled, the cut glass lampshades tossing straight lines of light between them.

Everything is classic, simple, barely twisted: the East Side Fizz (vodka, elderflower, lemon, mint, cucumber, tonic) is an antidote to hot stuffy weather, the kind of drink I imagine people who are always 'just popping off' to the Seychelles live on; the French Quarter (brandy, Cynar, cherry, lemon, sandalwood, lager) is surprisingly light for a brandy drink, with little tastes of leather and tobacco but made refreshing with the beer top.

Simpler drinks suit the Ned: it is too busy to have bartenders spending an age crafting little works of alcoholic art.

So, in this great lobby – and that is what it feels like, as my pal Ben Norum pointed out – they’ve built a classic American Bar, not so far in spirit from what’s at the Savoy, Claridge’s, the Rosewood.

The Ned, London EC2: 'It's Harrods food hall crossed with Vegas ...

Review analysis
food   value   ambience   menu   staff   drinks  

This extraordinary development – 252-bedroom hotel, nine restaurants, roof terrace bar, two pools, a spa – comes from Soho House & Co with US boutique hotel group Sydell (NoMad, Saguaro).

My task is to eat at every restaurant from breakfast to late night; one that, after two days in the place, starts to feel more than a little Sisyphean.

Little lamb chops are almost identical to and every bit as good as those served at Sexy Fish – make of that what you will.

Thank God for a bit of a reprieve on discovering that the Nickel Bar (“time-honoured American staples”) hasn’t started serving food as yet, so we content ourselves with a “Nedgroni”, an ill-advised riff on the classic rendered sickly with, I think, rose syrup.

After my first day of virtually living at The Ned, a certain institutionalisation sets in: the perfect temperature, the lovely staff (lord knows what’ll happen post-Brexit: there’s hardly a British voice), the unmistakable beauty.

Nickel | Bars and pubs in Crouch End, London

Review analysis
food   drinks  

A tiny neighbourhood bar in the heart of Crouch End.

The tiny bar is packed almost every night of the week with north Londoners sinking seriously good cocktails and snaffling decadent small plates.

Around the corner from Hornsey Town Hall, it’s as petite as they come and there’s a no-reservation policy, but that doesn’t put off the thirsty hordes.

At night, the softly lit space becomes loud and steamy as the bar fills up.

This part of town has waited a long time for a decent drinking den and you’d forgive locals for wanting to keep it to themselves.

Here's everything you need to know about eating at The Ned

Review analysis
food  

I'm sure you already know it's a humongous new hotel and members’ club from the people behind Soho House.

If you ignore the members’ restaurant (oak-panelled steakhouse Lutyens Grill) and the members’ bar (The Vault Room, in the old basement vaults), the rest is pretty much one mega-restaurant in what used to be the main banking hall.

Imagine a giant food hall, but with different ‘restaurant’ zones under one ridiculously high roof, each serving a different menu.

, head to the smaller, more intimate spaces, like Malibu Kitchen (Californian raw food and grills) or Café Sou (Parisian brasserie grub – though it hasn’t opened yet).

So far we’ve visited The Nickel Bar, Cecconi’s, Kaia, Malibu Kitchen and Zobler’s Deli – check back for reviews of Millie’s Lounge in the next week or two (and Café Sou when it actually opens).

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