In the heart of Shoreditch is Christina’s; a luxurious bar on the ground floor of the Mondrian Hotel and with their new cocktail menu, it should be at the top of your “to visit” list!
The bar itself is beautifully decorated and on opening the menu, it’s sure to be love at first sight. The new selection of drinks has been curated by the head bartender, Kevin Price Houghton, and focuses on using smaller producers, most of which are UK based. Kevin has also worked with less traditional ingredients such as alexander seed and rosehip. His goal was to make these unusual ingredients more ‘relatable’ by using them in classic cocktails.
The perfect example of this is the Hogweed Martini; a beautifully smooth cocktail, with the added twist of the hogweed, as well as a pickled radish garnish. If you are in the mood for something slightly sweeter though, the Rosehip Cosmo is also a great choice; especially as it has a tangier fruitiness compared to the ‘normal’ cosmo we are all used to. The cocktails range from £13-£15, so they’re slightly on the pricier side, but worth every penny for their flair and character.
The menu also has a great selection of mocktails (£10 each) for anyone who wants to enjoy something delicious without the alcohol buzz. If you’re in the mood for something warmer though, they offer a large array of coffees, lattes, and teas. The tea company used, Nemi teas is also based locally in London.
Once drinks are ordered, you might be feeling a bit peckish and Christina’s has various artisanal toasted sandwiches and nibbles to choose from. Prices range from £4-£10 and for any fellow vegetarians out there, the Korean Fried Cauliflower (KFC) is mouth-wateringly delicious!
The bar is calmer during the day and can be used for working lunches if you need to get out of your WFH office set-up. Then from around 6pm onwards, it starts filling up, and the music picks up the pace. Currently, on Thursdays and Fridays, there is also a DJ that starts his/her set at 8:30 pm. What more could you ask for in a bar? It covers all bases.
Christina’s is ideal for: Girl’s night, anniversaries, dates and after work drinks.
Ambience: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Value: ⭐⭐⭐
Range: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Overall: 9/10
Words by Hannah van Houweninge
