Sisters doing it for themselves? Not really: this City cocktail bar was packed with beery blokes in suits when we arrived, crammed round delicate tables with big old pint glasses and plenty of boorish banter. It was a total surprise given the name, drinks and borderline chichi decor, but perhaps not the location – down an alley around the backstreets of St Paul’s, among the age-old taverns. Luckily, the bar staff immediately clocked us looking all ‘rabbit in the headlights’ and ushered us in, clearing a table in minutes. The warm welcome didn’t dissipate during our stay. Happily, the boozy bankers did, leaving a crowd of more discerning drinkers in their wake.
The theme and look of The Four Sisters Townhouse feels a little borrowed for anyone who’s ever been to Zetter Townhouse Cocktail Lounge, with its quirky Georgian salon vibe. It doesn’t quite reach the chic heights of that Clerkenwell staple, but the clash of fusty faux bookshelves with floral wallpaper and plush banquettes has its charms, as do the antique lamps and framed paintings dotted around.
Cocktails aren’t as sophisticated, either – there’s not a dry martini in sight – but they’re all fun originals using premium spirits on a weekly-changing menu. On our visit, a Vive La France! with cognac, orange curaçao, lime and ‘pineapple fizz’ was an effervescent and impressive choice, bright yellow and just as bold on the tongue. The small selection of classics is diverse and interesting too, shining a light on an Old Cuban and a Hurricane instead of the likes of a mojito or a sazerac.
So while it’s not tearing up the lookbook, this bar is definitely adventurous when it comes to cocktails. Time for those City boys to part with their pints.