Dach & Sons

For weeks buzz has been building around sleepy Hampstead village and between various gastrophiles regarding Fluid Movement’s extension of the Purl brand with Purl NW3 and first 'no booking' restaurant offering, Dach & Sons, both housed at 68 Heath Street. This is part 1 of our review of both establishments.

Dach & Sons  

Turning right out of Hampstead tube the bold signage is immediately noticeable (even to someone like me with mole-like vision) and inside the influence of the pillars on which Dach &Sons is founded, namely beer, whiskey, ‘dogs and sliders, is obvious. These pillars are a clear nod to the ubiquitous Americana trend that’s gripped London in recent times. However, it does not feel like it’s merely hopping on the bandwagon as it situated on a high street focused on independent retailers in an area in sore need of relaxed but trendy dining venue.

My friend and I started off with the Dach & Sons own brew, which was a deep orange colour, starting clean and finishing with a punch of hops which had a taste similar to Camden Pale Ale, and the Dark Star which was a lot more malty with a burnt caramel edge that was very interesting. We were also offered a sample of the guest ale which was a very floral light straw colour

The only cocktail on the menu is a julep. This, in my opinion, was a bold statement and the confidence it showed was a large reason for checking out the venue beyond the experienced backers. I opted for the Gentleman Jack version as I was after something a bit sweeter than the other candidates, but given the sweetness of the finished product I probably should have opted for something more robust. Personally I would have preferred fresh mint, especially as they grow their own on the roof, but the mint infusion used did help to keep consistency. It was very refreshing and went down quite nicely and the staff were so helpful I’m sure they’d have no qualms about adjusting to my personal taste next time (yes there’s a next time).

Moving on to the food, I think I can sum up the menu with the squeal we both emitted, “Ohhh, I want EVERYTHING!” He opted for the Banger which was a porky delight topped with an earthy mushroom ketchup and onions and elicited many sniggers at immature but very funny anatomy related innuendo. I landed on the greedy girl’s saviour: a trio of sliders. The multi-seed bun was the best with a peppery bacon jam I’d love the recipe for, though the glazed brioche style one came a close second with crunchy dill pickle and cheddar. The traditional floured bap was nice, but not a knockout as the sour cream rather overpowered the salt beef chilli. All three were a little too well done for my taste (I like them juicy) but that’s just personal preference, and adjustable for the aforementioned next time.

What I think will be the real draw, at least for the mid-afternoon clientele searching for something other than the myriad of pubs surrounding the heath, will be the sides. They’re a little pricey but on average, worth it. We had some yummy sweet potato wedges which went nicely with the fresh tarragon mayo, some lump Devils on Horseback which were a good pairing with the beers, and the most incredible invention of frickles (fried pickles – see what they did there) with a tangy own recipe ketchup that would happily replace my Heinz if I could get my hands on a bottle.

Early evening clientele were groups of friends and families with young children and later on we saw a few couples on relaxed dates. As expected for a new venue they edged into the hipster bracket but given location and the commitment to creating a neighbourhood vibe, which has a definite market if you take into account the meteoric rise of Kentish Towner, I’m sure there’ll be more locals frequenting as word gets out. Our tab came to £60 including tip which was quite reasonable given the excellent customer service. Despite competition from local gastropubs on price, the slice of stateside cool is more than welcome in an area crying out for a fashionable new hangout. With rumours of a dessert menu and proximity to the Everyman cinema, this could become a frequent spot for TGOC...

To keep up to date and to see more pictures please visit their Facebook page.

The Hide

The Hide Bar in London Bridge is tucked away at the top of Bermondsey St (a convenient stroll from man of the moment Jose Pizzaro’s outstanding tapas bar). They have an extensive menu and career bartenders who know their stuff, with a good jazz soundtrack and comfy sofas. It was pretty quiet when we went as that it was early in the week but the staff told us that it was a popular after-work hangout on Thursdays and Fridays but at the weekend it was very much a bartenders’ bar.

What’s really great about this place, however, is the Tuesday tasting sessions (thanks for the tip GinMonkey). Hosted sporadically throughout the year they are just £15, which is pretty cheap when compared with other establishments, which usually go for £40 a pop. I went to ‘Do Brands Matter?’ with an old flatmate as a treat for his birthday and while I was looking forward to it, I wasn’t expecting it to be quite so informative.

We were actually the only two there so it was a private lesson at the little vintage bar in the corner of the main bar rather than the back room they use for bigger parties but it wasn’t too noisy and great that we got to ask a lot of questions.

We started off with a Martinez made with Old Tom gin and variations on the vermouth – I’d had my first Martinez not long before and it was a little powerful for me as I was already a few down. I’m trying to get into more classic drinks as the sweeter modern ones don’t really do it for me anymore. So, I was a little apprehensive but decided to throw myself into the spirit of things.

The first was made with Martini Rosso, it was a lot sweeter than I’d had before, quite light and pleasant and the second with Antica Formulae. Initial sips were a lot herbier but after a while I really settled into it. With the Antica Martinez I could see it going well with a cheese board; something I’d mix for friends at home or if I was just out for a couple of after work drinks whereas the Martini Martinez it was a lot more of a session cocktail. Both made me re-evaluate my relationship with vermouth, though for both of us the Antica won hands down.

Martinez

We moved on to Daiquiris, one with Chairman’s Reserve and another with Diplimatico Anejo. I knew we were safe here as once upon a bartending time I used to be able to blind taste rum (a skill I have since lost apart from major brands and personal faves). Chairman’s is probably in my top 5 favourite rums and in the daiquiri the raisin and vanilla notes balanced nicely with the citrus to end with that nicely rounded oaky finish. The Diplimatico was also good, but just a touch too sweet and spicy for my personal tastes and would’ve worked better (for me) with something creamier that would pick out its fudgey notes. As our host pointed out, the evening was about finding what worked for you, and my companion really liked the Diplimatico.

Finally we had an Old Fashioned, one with Buffalo Trace, the other with Fighting Cock. Now I’m not a whisk(e)y fan, I have been known to equate certain brands to rat piss (not that I know what rat piss taste like, but I can imagine) however, my first positive experience of the spirit was with Buffalo Trace so I crossed my fingers. It ended up being pretty pleasant - the sugar and the chilling really took the edge off - but for me the Fighting Cock was still a little too punchy. I think I like the ritualistic element of the slow stir and the fact that it’s impossible to neck in three sips, which counter-intuitively meant it lasts a lot longer than a Julep would've.

Old Fashioned and Daiquiri

So we got six cocktails each for £15 – that’s pretty sweet deal considering on menu they’d be around £8 each (a saving of roughly 70%). Since this evening I have been ordering a lot more of the classic style cocktails, particularly the Martinez which is now competing with gimlets for my favourite tipple, so my objectives were met for the evening. I’d definitely go back on a Sunday to soak up some more knowledge and delve a little deeper into the cocktail menu. 

See you in SE1,

TGOC