MAINS & MARTINIS

Three stylish venues, each very different but united in their intention to make the cocktails every bit as delicious as the food

Hakkasan

The vibe: Looking for the perfect setting for your next date night? Hakkasan delivers on every front. It’s lush and dark – very dark – has plenty of intimate nooks and crannies and oozes sexiness in an early 2000s way. That’s not us being sniffy, it’s fact. Hakkasan Hanway Place opened in 2001 and still has that slickness that saw it gain the first Michelin star for a Chinese restaurant in the UK, and retain it for 20 years. That tells you everything you need to know.

The food: This is our favourite way to dine out: sharing dishes and plenty of them. It would be rude not to start with at least one serving of classic and supreme dim sum – here, perfect pillows of deliciousness, almost jewel-coloured and every bit as precious in the taste department. Salt and pepper squid, golden fried soft shell crab, 24-hour slow-roasted Iberico pork char siu and steamed Chilean sea bass are just some suggestions of where to take your tastebuds next; for vegetarian options, the tofu, aubergine and Japanese mushroom claypot, and spring vegetable stir fry with mushroom and a side of spring onion and egg fried rice are the way to go. There’s a fantastic selection on offer but if you’re daunted by the choice, go for one of the Signature Menus – they give you the best bits of everything.

The drinks: Hats off to head of bars Wendy Hopkins and her team – every signature drink on the menu is now available as a non-alc version. That means the same glassware, same garnish, same flavour profile and the same feeling of being part of the group. It makes for a powerful offering and after tasting several of the alcohol and nonalcohol variations side-by-side, we’d be lying if we said you couldn’t tell the difference – there’s something about the texture but certainly not the taste. They’ve done a mighty fine job indeed. In fact, we may shun the alcohol next time – that’s how well they’ve done.