Since its opening in 2016, the outwardly unassuming Dalston cocktail bar Three Sheets – owned and run by brothers Max and Noel Venning – has become a city-wide favourite, known for the inventiveness and quality of its drinks, which often play on established classics. Unsurprisingly then, for Three Sheets’ second iteration, the Vennings have pulled up in Soho, London’s storied cocktail hub, to launch a new menu of brilliantly re-thought standards upon a more central crowd.
While the Dalston spot is narrower and more secret-feeling – maybe a touch cooler, if you really want me to say it – the W1 iteration adapts to its new surroundings. It’s warmer and fancier, all soft, inviting booths and dark wood. So far, so Soho.
The Mezcal Sunset is the grown-up older sister of a tequila sunrise, only more Ibiza than Benidorm
In keeping with Soho tradition, you must – once you are installed in your plush seat, or on your bar stool – begin with a martini. The Three Sheets bartenders are seasoned pros, who will make yours however you like it, but the house Dirty Martini is worth a go even if you’re a purist. Done with Belvedere, a little olive oil, and some Koseret tea to take the edge off the booze, it’s a gentler take on the OG, and even those who like the drink blisteringly alcoholic will appreciate the riff. For something more serene as you’re getting settled in, go for Three Sheets’ signature pre-bottled French 75 – a bubbly blend of gin and Chardonnay, plus some lilting botanical elements such as lemon, and orange flower water – or even a simple Vodka Lemon Lime.
From there: well, choose your own adventure. The Three Sheets Soho team have devised a menu which takes drinks you know well to sexier, more modern places. As such, the selection is never alienating, but pretty much always surprising. I expect my White Russian to be milky and maybe even a bit silly-feeling, but when it arrives, it’s basically clear (the vodka gets its creamy taste from a coffee wash), and the picture of sophistication in a squat glass with a fashionably huge single ice cube. I feel like a Bond villain, in a good way.
Elsewhere, the Mezcal Sunset, a fantastic concoction, is the grown-up older sister of a tequila sunrise – only more Ibiza than Benidorm. It’s long, tall and visually striking, but crucially, it retains the essence of the original drink: that signature, cheeky whack of fruit at the end of each sip, happily, remains.
It’s this type of evolution that Three Sheets Soho is doing beautifully. This place isn’t trying to compete directly with institutions like The Connaught or the American Bar. Instead, it’s doing something different, something more contemporary, more out there, and – dare I say it – quite a bit more exciting.