Got the sweet scent of BBQ sauce for blood? Are your veins seething with Whiskey Sours, and your heart beating in time with some seriously sumptuous Blues beats? They might not be yet, but they sure as hell will be once you're done with this jaunt. Heck, I may sound a little dramatic, but with this new Shoreditch haunt on my doorstep, there's no reason to be blue any more.
The Venue:
While Bar Music Hall may have found it hard to fill this space, Blues Kitchen Shoreditch have rolled up their sleeves and mastered the grandiose liquid arena. Split between live music stage, eatery, private party room, central island bar, Airstream lounger, dance floor and drinking booths, Blues Kitchen Shoreditch have left no stone unturned. Dark, dim and doused in name Blues faces, this East London drinking lounge is an emblematic den of industrial innards, flecked tiling, robust furniture, candle-lit tables and rich hues. Think romance, meets rodeo, meets rustic.
Brimming with broody attitude, Blues Kitchen Shoreditch is a den of enigmatic textures and cool spaces.
The Food & Drink:
While many are feeling a little overcome with the American food revolution that's seemingly sweeping through London's restaurants, Blues Kitchen Shoreditch are so hardened in their Texan appeal, that it was hard not to be impressed. Doing as any self respecting lady should, I tucked into their premium meaty platter, spending £15.95 of my hard earned pennies on a serious selection of slow cooked cuts; from smoked St. Louis ribs to pit smoked BBQ chicken, Blues Kitchen have mastered the art of slow cooking.
The wine and beer offering was modest, leaving space for their cocktail menu to shine through. Wolfing down a creme de cacao and creme de menthe adorned 'Grasshopper' without a second thought, this charming milk bottle cocktail tasted like an over excited After Eight, which y'all know is good thing, right? (excuse the Texan slur). Following that with their £9.50 Woodford New Cask, I learnt more about whisky in that one sitting with a bar tender than in my days of chugging dear Jack at university.
Prepare for a pulled pork party in your mouth, Blues Kitchen Shoreditch are bringing the Texan BBQ back, if it hadn't arrived already.
The Atmosphere:
Dimly lit nooks, a buzzing Blues band and a hand cut glass of Whisky in your mitts, I dare anyone not to feel as giddy as I did. Whilst Blues Kitchen gets a little more party hearty into the evening (this is East London after all folks), this one has a brilliant 10-11pm buzz that shouldn't be ignored. Brimming with creative Shoreditch patrons, and jostling between lounge drinkers and nattering diners, Blues Kitchen Shoreditch had the mastery for both eatery and entertainment haunt alike.
Fun filled and fancy free, it's attitude left at the door and whisky on the floor at this East London den.
Summary:
Pulled pork, whisky and a Blues band, you may think you've heard it all before - but, with Blues Kitchen Shoreditch bringing a little East London attitude to this Texan temptation, it's hard to resist. While I won't be investing in a Stetson and chugging whisky from a boot, you will catch me at Blues Kitchen Shoreditch giving high-fives to bartenders for their delicious fare, emblematic interiors and whisky selection.
