What do you think of when your Nan springs to mind? For me it was budgies, chest clenching honesty, snow globes and that one time she chased a field full of cows on my bike. Didn't care too much for a cow my Nanna. For Tristan Scutt, it's a junkyard of elderly jolly. From monarchy memoribilia to Pat Butcher plaques, this latest pop-up venture in Shoreditch shows the fella killing it with kitsch, yet again.
The Venue
Welcome to the incredible treasure trove that your Nan chewed up, and spit back out again. After meandering through the dusty drawl of a half-beaten bar upstairs, we found the brimming basement nook that would make a bid for Ebay bargains the globe over. A petite space bustling with vintage furniture and dimly lit, darling areas, Little Nan's Cocktail Den welcomes you in with a 'touch this, but maybe don't touch that because you're a massive clutz' cuddle; From fluffy toys, embroidered lampshades and plastic, retro props to more china teapots than you could shake a bucket full of Tetley's tokens at. Lucky enough to snag the teal, curtain laced booth by the door? This is your Twin Peaks photo time to shine.
Like a Pinterest guide for Nan's, Little Nan's Cocktail Den is a chest of cutesy curio.
The Food and Drinks
A hand-written menu of hand-made cocktails made up the bones of Little Nan's. Served in teapots rather than stuffy tankards, cocktails come positively pun based, and preach everything from your pineapple, orange and white rum laced Lady Council Princess to the other royal, the Lady Pat Butcher; brimming with a sassy spiced rum and slightly tart, bitter lemon and grenadine punch. Got your teapot? Grab a china teacup of your choosing off the wall, and don't you dare let anybody stop you from there on out. They can't, you've got two whole hours of this. The mark-up, not just the make-up also has to be mentioned when it comes to Little Nan's. With 2 hours worth of bottomless cocktails coming in at just £35, or £45 for the Prosecco based-drinks, Little Nan's Cocktail Den is actually something of a bargain for what you get.
Keeping the chow cutesy, and also included in the price, Little Nan's Cocktail Den is all 'Sugar High' by Coyote Shivers. Rather than the roasties and broths that your Nan is likely known for come sundown on a Sunday, Little Nan's offer a bottomless bunch of treats. From popcorn, pretzels and wasabi peas to Pick 'n' Mix, it's your task to grab a teacup and scoop until you're full. This is a very important task. My only qualm? I couldn't get dosed on my foam banana favourites, and I am a proud foam banana fan-ana.
Sup through two hours of bottomless cocktails with a side of flying saucers and jelly babies.
The Atmosphere
In Tristan Scutt we trust. Not only an amicable host that's happy to share Little Nan's tales, rightly pointing out the neat bits that do in fact belong to his Grandmother, he's made a home of loveable, tacky trifle. But it's not just the host that made Little Nan's such a treat. While it's almost hard to miss a conversation with other guests here as you're so neatly packed in, Little Nan's is a cavern of 'gizz us a kizz' couples and groups of ladies that I don't doubt know how to trifle through a brick-a-brack bin. This, is a compliment. An atmosphere as charming as the interiors is the least I think you should expect.
A brick-a-brack babe made for couples and cool cats alike.
Summary
Seeing as I mainly only go to museums to get my hands on something, even if it's just a button (hopefully a big red one), Little Nan's Cocktail Den is perfect for knick-knack grabbers. With its tender charm, incredible collection of retro wares and bloody happy-go-lucky host, this pop-up is ploughing through London's cutesy cocktail scene, one twee teapot at a time.
Little Nan's Ccocktail Den is a 3-month pop-up in Shoreditch until August 15th, grab your tickets here.
