When I arrived in front of this bar I thought it was a mistake because it looks like a high standard quiet restaurant such as the many other elegant places in Szeroka Street. Once inside I found an atmosphere that was charming with soft lighting from old-style cristal lamps and classical mahogany wood furniture.
Then my attention was captured by the black and white photos of New York of 20 – 30’s with iconic criminal characters like Al Capone which added to the feeling of the prohibition times.
Anyway, the absolute protagonist of the interior is the huge wall full of 210 bottles of spirits from around the world, many of them rare, together with shakers and vintage crystal glasses.
My girlfriend and I sat at a discrete wooden table with a candle inside a crystal candleholder, as it is forbidden to stand up at the bar as it was back in the day. We studied the menu which is huge with cocktails divided into groups “Bestsellers”, “New” and “Seasonal”. There is a short description below each one, then, of course, the list of spirits, a couple of wines and simple snacks. There are also some non-alcoholic options also.
Luckily we had a friendly chat with the really passionate owner who wanted to know our preferences, outlining the goodness of each ingredient that we tasted in little shots to get the right combination for our palettes.
I choose one of the entry “Bermuda’s” composed of two types of rum, lime juice, Falernum syrup and Angostura with sour, spicy and oriental notes. I am not a true estimator of cocktails and the combinations of tastes are subjective and depend on your personality or “mood” at the time, but it was undeniable that in the mouth all the ingredients were incredibly distinguishing and the dose of rum was generous. It was well balanced between sweet and sour with a fresh gentle exotic and spicy explosion (especially cinnamon) in the final moments.
My girlfriend opted for the bestseller “Old Town Ice Tea” which was a mix of Gin infused with Earl Grey Tea, peach syrup, lemon juice, orange peel and sparkling water. The flavor of the Earl grey tea was strong and bitter immediately at the first sip but then the agrumates note arrived to refresh the mouth. Astonishing!
What made the difference was the handcrafted syrups rather than the commercial syrups often used in many bars which makes this bar stand out from most of the bars around town.
Also, the barmen are really kind, all English speaking and pay attention to small details such as perfectly dry and clean tables and they constantly refilling your glass of water which prepares you for the next cocktail experience.
The bar was full of people of different ages and the tables adorned with many colorful and beautiful drinks and the atmosphere sophisticated with mostly American classic rock songs from the 70’s and 80’s.
Last but not least, the prices are not high for the location and appropriate for the level of service and quality of beverages served which are all selected personally by the owner from around the world.
To conclude, I highly recommend reserving your seat in this stylish american corner maybe after a nice dinner in the old town of Gdansk. A place to wind down your evening in good company and with generous portions of spirits and luxury cocktails. Will impress even the connoisseurs.
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