Located in the O2 Arena, NY-LON is the brainchild of Virgin Atlantic and Delta Air Lines, a cocktail bar created to bring together the tastes and influences of New York and London; here to provide those of us not so accustomed to flying with a little glimpse of the transatlantic VIP treatment.
Venue
The entrance, left minimal with white walls and black stencils of various Airport Codes, along with the plain concrete floors is clearly reflective of an airport walk-way, taken as you head towards your gate. In this case we were heading to the lounge to be spoiled with cocktails and sharing plates. We were seated in the Turbine Lounge; an open planned oasis of sophistication and sleek architecture based on the design of a Jet Engine Turbine. The venue also hosts a semi-private area with its own private bar and four seated areas with cream couches and mirrored tables encircled within a glistening rainfall effect curtain - a picture of contemporary elegance.
NY-Lon's Turbine Lounge. There's also a range of other contemporary, elegant spots to kick back and unwind in.
Atmosphere & Clientele
The whole room conveyed an air of exclusivity, as one would experience on a first class flight – as I would imagine! Wanting to really feel the whole ‘first class experience’ we took our seats upon a raised platform, whether intended or not the height added to the theme and dynamically, it gave a whole different view to the venue. It also gave me the perfect position to watch the bartenders at work on our cocktails! On a Saturday night, the lounge hosted a mix of couples and groups of friends; mostly of whom had likely been to see a concert or show in the 02 Arena. The promised ‘first class service’ certainly kept to expectations; our waiter Marcus was so friendly and attentive that we felt like we could just stay there forever and his food and drink suggestions all came fully informed and certainly did not disappoint.
The Lounge is popular with those heading to the O2 Arena, but is a great spot for sharing plates and cocktails in its own right.
Food & Drink
Checking out NY-LONs own range of cocktails, I chose the 30,000ft; ‘Woodford Reserve Bourbon, maraschino cherry and juice, Peychaud’s bitters, gin barrel and orange bitters’ and my cocktail drinking newbie decided upon the Atlanta; ‘berry-based take on the home city of Delta with rosemary infused Beefeater gin, blueberries, egg white, lemon juice, blackcurrant liqueur’. I for one loved the Atlanta and am a big fan of the use of egg whites in cocktails, making them taste smooth and creamy but without the heavy cream and packed full of taste!
The food menu was inspired by dishes from both New York and London, my favourite being the ‘Scrapple with crispy pancetta and caramelised onion chutney’ ( a New York option…) and my highlight of the food and most favourite sharing board in the world – a fully loaded cheese board - full with blue cheese, goats curd, brie, dried fruits and chutney – heaven on board!
Enjoy grazing plates from both sides of the Atlantic, washed down with exquisite cocktails.
Summary
Overall, the night was a great excuse to really unwind and just chill out with some cocktails and nibbly/sharing food. Perfect for a catch up or maybe even a date - NY-LON is nice and chilled, with no crazy loud music so you can actually hear each other talk and you'll find the hours just fly by...
