I’ll be honest; every year when Halloween rolls around, I end up bailing on my costume and doing a movie night instead. Mostly out of sheer laziness and the desire to catch The Visit for the 100th time. However, this year, I wanted to do something to celebrate the spooky season and in a boozy fashion at that. So when I had the chance to visit The Bloomsbury Club Bar for a few themed cocktails and a tarot card reading, I jumped on the opportunity.
Tarot and tipples? Some of the best Bloomsbury drinks you'll have.
Located underneath the Bloomsbury Hotel, the venue had a stunning outdoor area with twinkling lights and pops of greenery. However, we decided to sit inside to catch all the live music; plus we couldn’t help but revel in the Art Deco decor, dark wood floors and ambient lighting. As we got snug-as-a-bug into the comfy leather booths, we were given a booklet with all 14 cocktails and the corresponding tarot cards to match. There was also a whole spiel at the bottom of each page about why the ingredients were chosen for each tipple. This place really knew their stuff.
As we flipped through the cocktails, we noticed that each one came with a purpose. “Drink this to curb feelings of recklessness without losing exuberance.” Yup, that sounded right up my alley. Based on the Mischievous card, the drink was called Mad Monkey (£16), which was a marriage of Avion Plata tequila, peach citric, egg white, chilli and a wasabi and passion fruit dust. This was probably my favourite of the evening as it definitely reminded me of a margarita but with a bit more finesse.
This bar whips up some of Bloomsbury's best drinks.
While I drank my tipple, my friend opted for the Forbidden Fruit (£16) – a drink to turn idle desire into an enduring love. Hers was a beaut blend of gin and exuded notes of apple, which made sense as the fruit is a symbol of love and sexuality. She also went for the Berry Boo (£16), which happened to be a limited-edition Halloween special for the evening. Featuring Plymouth gin, bourbon, blueberry syrup and lemon, the blood-coloured drink was faultless.
Another highlight of the evening was the Painted Veil (£16), which a vibrant pink cocktail based on the Anxious card - a heady mix of Dingle vodka, fresh citrus liqueur, Cointreau, bitter orange bloom, Barsol pisco and a touch of cranberry stock. The cold-pressed cranberries added a bit more sweetness while the orange blossom balanced out the whole drink with its inherent bitterness.
And for bar bites, we nabbed the crispy tempura prawns (£12), which was paired with a bloody mary cocktail sauce. The prawns were perfectly crispy and a 10/10 in my books, but I must admit, the bloody mary element felt absent from the sauce. We then grabbed the corn tostadas with whipped hummus (£9.50) which was divine. Light and fluffy, the dip was also sprinkled with kalamata olives and crumbled feta to give the dish a bit more depth.
The Bloomsbury Club Bar's menu is chock-full of delish nibbles.
Finally, it would be a crime not to mention the tarot card reading I had done by Melissa Mercury, who does regular readings at Lost Boys Pizza. As soon as I popped down, she mentioned that she’s not a psychic and a lot of what she does has to do with psychology. While some might be disappointed, I’m not fussed about knowing my future children’s birth charts or if my soulmate’s name begins with a certain letter. Instead, she told me she’d pick a few cards and then explain the meaning behind them, and from there, it turned into a really in-depth conversation about self-confidence and life.
The DesignMyNight Digest
A venue that sets out to focus on spirituality and new beliefs, this is the hotspot to visit for those who love tarot cards. When it comes to Bloomsbury bars, this was one of the most unique cocktail experiences I’ve had in a while. From the Instagrammable bar to the 1920s feels and tarot theme, it really did live up to all my expectations and more. So if you’re looking for a little more direction in life or just fancy having some bloody good drinks, head on over to this gorgeous haunt and be sure to snap a million pics.
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💰 The damage: £85 for four cocktails and two bar bites, plus service charge. 📍 The location: 16-22 Great Russell St, London WC1B 3NN. 👌 Perfect for: Swanky date nights. ⭐ Need to know: You'll spend 15 minutes flipping through their cool menu. |
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