Nightjar

Sometimes, people are asking me, if it didn’t become boring for me, to go to the world’s best bars, because those places are all perfect. My answer is obviously NO. It didn’t become boring at all. Sure, when You are visiting such places, after a while You expect a certain level of service and some standards. But the true beauty of it, is to see the differences, the endless varieties and the originality for every single bar. I can assure You, that every time You will visit one of those places, You will find something astonishing, something unique. My visit in The Nightjar was no different.

It is highly recommended to make your booking in advance, before You will go to this bar. Simply, because the place is not so big and especially, because it has live music every day. I’ve tried to make my booking too, however I was alone and on their websites it is possible to book the table only for 2 or more people. So as a true gentleman, I didn’t try to cheat the rules and book the table for 2 even if I was alone. Instead of that, I’ve sent them an e-mail and I asked how does it work. The response was, that this moment they are not accepting any bookings anymore for next 2 weeks as they are fully booked, but I can try to show up at the door and get one of the tables, that this bar keeps aside for people who would just come for a drink. That was my last chance to get there.

So exactly 1 minute after the opening hour, I was asking the receptionist, if there is any space left for me. Surprisingly, the bar was full already, but I was lucky enough the get THE LAST free table. That made me very lucky and very happy. Considering, that came to London mainly to visit the Nightjar, it would be very sad if I would miss it.

I went on the stairs down and I found myself in front of the 2nd receptionist, who took me to the table. Yes, unfortunatelly this time I could not sit on the bar, but at least I was sitting right in front of it.

The place looks great. Everything, including the ceiling and the floor is made out of dark wood and even walls are painted in black. Together with old-fashioned lights and jazz music playing in the background, the atmosphere was perfect to forget everything. It is like comming to a different universe far from all the stress…

Then I got the menu and while I was choosing the cocktail, I‘ve got a glass with water infused by lemons and cucumbers. Choosing a cocktail here was very, very difficult for me. Not because it would be complicated, but because everything looked absolutely amazing and I would love to try all. Unfortunatelly, I could not stay here for as long as I would love to, because it was my last day in London, I had to visit one more bar and my hotel was at the other side of London and  I had a flight back very, very early in the morning…

After I seriously considered of ordering the whole menu 2x I’ve decided to take my classic. The one and the only and yet never the same but still the best. The Four of Diamonds – The Boulevardier.

Boulevardier 1934

-        Knob Creek Rye

-        Courvoisier Exclusif

-        Dubonnet

-        Nightjar Amaro Mix

-        Absinthe Bitters

-        Chocolate Ice

Chocolate ice? Wait wait wait. Yes. Chocolate ice. However this is not the only interesting feature. It is not about the chocolate ice. It is about the p-e-r-f-e-c-t symphony and connection between all these ingredients. The smell, the endless smoothness, the perfect match of every single part of this recipe. Chocolate ice is interesting by itself already, but it would not be so interesting without the rest of the cocktail and yet the rest of the cocktail would not be complete without the chocolate ice. This cocktail made me believe in god.

Every sip of this cocktail was like a blessing. Even if this blog is not even close to what I was planning, I regret nothing. If I would never start writing it, I would never taste this drink and I would bever visit such places…

As I said at the beginning, every bar has something unique. Except of the menu and cocktails of course. I’ve noticed, that in Nightjar, employees don't talk to each other, almost at all. They don’t have to, because there is a lot of personnel. Also some cocktails are made in advance like for example Zombie. This cocktail is kept in wooden cask, so if somebody orders this cocktail, it is waiters pouring it. This system gives to bartenders an opportunity to be 100% concentrated on their actual work. And if You consider the amount of cocktails, the style of preparation and the general difficulty, it makes perfect sense. However it also carries one shady aspect. Would You like to sit on the bar? No. Not really, for two reasons.

One of them is Flair bartending. Yes, it is unbelieveable, but here in the 3rd world’s best bar for the year of 2015, there is a bartender using freestyle techniques. He is not throwing the bottles or jungling or anything like this. It is very stylish way of working flair. It works like this : You do not throw anything in the air pretty much. However, if You grab a shaker, squeezer or mixing spoon, You grab it in some fancy way. It looks extremely good. But as every freestlyle way of work, it carries the risk of droping the item You wanted to use. You may be 100% sure, that You know the move, but even if You know it for 100%  You can still drop it. If You drop the shaker in the Nighjar - where are dimmed lights and quiet music and everything is perfect – You break the atmosphere appart, which happened through my short visit couple of times.

The second one is the system of the bar itself. Bartenders are here to make the cocktails perfect. They are doing it beyond the perfection. Notice the small details on every single cocktail, when You will be here. As I said many, many times. Never underestimate the power of detail.. However, bartenders are working here like a robots. When You look at them, You can see their perfection and the amazing execution of every move they make. But can You, as a guest, actually talk to them?
However, without any doubts, this place belongs exactly where it is. Third place is very well deserved and You will find yourself wondering, wheter this place is real or not. If You are a bartender, You will enjoy this place 2x as much as normal guests, but if You are a normal guest, Your visit here will still be unforgetable...
And then I had to leave this bar already, but just before leaving I've got a little surprise from the receptionist. A small present, that meant so much for me. What it was? It was a surprise and present, so I won't tell You, what it was. But You can find a hint in this review, if You will read it carefully.