FYI those tight, skinny jeans that cut off your blood circulation and cause the early stages of arthritis are out, and rapidly taking their place are flared, bell-bottomed, swinging trousers that you are advised to team with a tucked in roll-neck top or a cropped blouse and ankle-strap shoes. Those old enough (what – I’m only in my 20s) will recognise that yes, like most fashions, the 70s has come back around. HOW exciting. Dad’s dusting off his guitar and attempting to re-grow his hair, Mum’s making crème brûlée – I am admittedly awaiting the arrival of my new wide-legged jeans, and The Drift bar in Bishopsgate is stepping back in a blaze of glory introducing a new Flambé menu.
Situated at the bottom of Heron Tower, this trendy, vibrant bar and restaurant, the fifth of Drake & Morgan’s, is the ideal place to saunter down to after a day’s work, to end a meeting with sociable cocktails or meet up with friends for a fun, relaxing meal.
On entering the bar, lit by candles and quirky lights, at 6.30 on a Tuesday evening, I stepped away from the bustling suits with frowns and briefcases, and joined instead, the relaxed suits with smiles and drinks. Having booked ahead (as you must do if you wish to eat from the Flambé menu), I was immediately led upstairs to a table right beside the open and exciting kitchen and brought a Flaming Your Tai, a rum based cocktail with a flaming lime – the accompaniment to my starter of a Prawn Cocktail from the A La Carte menu.
Not yet halfway through my goblet (yes, it’s quite a goblet) of Flaming Tai, Martin, our dedicated chef, wheeled his trolley over with all the ingredients needed to whip together our main meals. He began by preparing a flametastic Beef Stroganoff (my Mum calls it Beef Stroggy), served in a creamy mushroom sauce and flamed with cognac.
We chatted to Martin about the concept of the Flambé menu whilst he was cooking the rest of the meals – the Scampi Mornay and the Steak Diane, and he expressed his enthusiasm for bringing the element of theatre out onto the restaurant floor. Speaking of how pleased he was to have the chance to interact with his guests, Martin seasoned the flames with asbestos hands and in no time at all our food was plated up and served with side dishes of delicious roasted veg and gorgeously salted potatoes.
Each course on the Flambé menu is paired with a unique ‘Kitchen Cocktail’, and my Steak Diane, which was cooked to absolute medium-rare perfection, came with a superbly strong Rum Hunt that was topped with pretty pink peppercorns.
After our main courses, Martin returned to prepare our desserts of Flambé Bananas and Crêpe Suzette. Not normally a dessert fan, I inhaled the sweet, caramelised bananas and washed them down with a Plantation Old Fashioned.
At £45.95 for a three course Flambé meal with flambélicious cocktails and attentive, flamboyant service, I’d say The Drift is one definitely worth checking out.
Catch my drift?
Written by Sophie Jones
Date posted: 20/01/2012
