The Drift is described as ‘an island of calm in the heart of the city’ by its owners; so I was keen to give it a go and see if it really hit the heights.
The Venue
The Drift is ideally located for after work drinks for workers from Bank, Liverpool Street and Shoreditch. Inside it is divided in two, with a rather lively downstairs bar area sitting below an upper level dining space. The interior is in keeping with the architecture of Heron Tower, meaning lots of glass allows for plenty of light when the suns up and an impressive view of the neighbouring aquarium.
They have taken the template of your typical City suit fest and injected it with an invigorating dose of ‘Shoreditch cool’, giving it as bit more soul and an element of fun. This can be seen in abundance upstairs with the colourful chairs, intricate mosaics, open-kitchen displays and communal-style seating.
The Drift is spacious and bright, in keeping with its spot at Heron Tower.
The Atmosphere and Clientele
The EC2 location may seem unappealing to those that are not into the pretentious ‘City boy bar’ vibe, but whilst there are indeed a number of suits scattered around the place it manages to feel rather laid back and inclusive despite the evidently corporate clientele.
This was achieved with a mixture of the exceedingly pleasant staff and the up to the minute House music, working together to extinguish any whiff of pretention.
With smaller tables for dining, The Drift caters for all groups and tastes.
The Food and Drinks
The Drift really excelled, offering high quality grub and imaginative drinks at very reasonable prices. The first thing you’ll notice is just how huge the menus are for both food and drinks.
Choose from vast selections of small plates, sharing boards, burgers, steaks and salads, with some more imaginative specials on offer too. The food really was a treat, well-presented, tasty and well-portioned. Our starter of white bait with lemon aioli and rocket went down a treat, crispy, fresh and full of flavour. The mains were the show stopper; the brandy flambé 8oz sirloin steak perfectly cooked to order in front of as was my 10oz rib-eye (made surf and turf for just an extra £12.00). The lobster was lovely and meaty and served with all the necessary tools to really enjoy. The toffee apple crème brulee for dessert was imaginative and moorish in equal doses.
Speaking of imagination, the cocktails oozed it. The Marshmallow Colada, a popping candy concoction and the ever-devilish ‘Zombie-Land’, were served in their own unique glasses and mixed to perfection. Not to forget there are a healthy selection of skinny cocktails for those on a diet.
The Drift carries a cool edge that belies its Liverpool Street location.
Summary
The Drift brings new hope for City bars, a non-pretentious ‘island of calm in the heart of the city’ serving high quality food and drinks at prices that won’t break the bank.
