Stunning new cocktail bar and restaurant Silk & Grain is now setting t he City’s drinking and dining scene alight w it h pioneering, barrel-aged tipples and sizzling steaks from t heir Josper grill. Located on Cornhill, a stone’s throw from Bank St at ion, expect t he best of British produce from t he first floor restaurant and a t rail blazing drinks menu w it h never seen before concoct ions and inventive twists on classics in t he ground floor bar.
With original, stylish design touches throughout, t here’s fl are in t he décor as much as the flavours. Enter t he ground floor bar and perch at the communal tasting t able to watch t he cocktail masters at work or grab a window table on t he raised seating area, complete with church pew-style seating and striking light fittings made from taps. Alternatively, head straight upstairs to t he mezzanine restaurant , taking in t he quirky drinking water tap disguised as a papier-mâché cow ’s head made out of money and t he life-sized copper coin deer watching over t he entrance and diners.
The Cocktails
Shaking up convent ion as well as drinks, Silk & Grain has created a ground-breaking menu of creative aged concoctions
Classics and new creations are given extra dept h and flavour by ageing spirits and cocktails in different materials including oak barrels, metal, glass and even leather. In some cases flavours are added, in others flavours are mellowed out as component s of t he drink react together. While t he results are never t he same, t hey are always exciting – a silky smooth, sophisticated select ion of matured drinks w it h added complexity.
The Food
If t he thirst for cocktails leaves you feeling peckish t he ground floor bar serves a very British grazing menu w it h delicious snacks, including Clonakilty black pudding ‘scotched’ quail eggs; crispy pig’s ears; beer-braised bunny ‘sausage’ rolls; bourbon-glazed pork belly bites and a select ion of British cheeses and charcuterie sourced from Trealy Farm and Neal’s Yard.
For a more formal dining affair, head to t he stylish first floor restaurant w here you can indulge in t he full three courses made from t he finest seasonal British ingredient s. To start , choose from t he likes of Isle of Man scallops, English garden pea purée and smoked Trealy Farm bacon; soft -boiled duck egg, asparagus, parsley butter and Berkswell cheese; or dry-aged Monmouthshire beer carpaccio, horseradish crème fraîche, pickled onions and capers.
For the main course, Silk & Grain specialises in dry-aged steak cut s, matured on t he bone for as long as 35 days using t ime-honoured methods and t hen cooked in a Josper grill, keeping t he meat succulent and flavoursome. Opt for your favourite cut as an individual port ion or order a steak to share, t hen simply add your choice of homemade sauces (our favourite – mushroom and merlot ) or butters w it h stand out opt ions such as leather-aged Scotch w hisky or chilli and lime.
Silk & Grain, 33 Cornhill, London EC3V 3ND 0 20 7929 1378