The staff were as you would wish, perfectly pleasant, hospitable and personable without being overbearing. The bar manager Antonio took the time to describe why he came up with the concept of calorie controlled drinks - so apt in a cosmopolitan city where everyone seems increasingly concerned with what they put in their bodies. And as he maintains - it's surprising that nowhere seems to have done this already, when you can go buy food and drink in a shop with the nutritional information on the packaging. But the menu goes one step further and details the benefits of each drink based upon the ingredients.
The drinks were divided up into three different categories - The Saintly, The Sinful and The Wickedly Good. The first being delicious, predominantly juice based mocktails with minimal calories whilst the second group are alcoholic with fewer calories than the latter. First up I tried the detoxifying champagne cocktail Lemon Camellia - a lemongrass infused green tea champagne which was perfectly balanced indeed and at only 95 calories! More saintly than sinful I felt! Meanwhile my friend enjoyed a fruity gin number - the Botanical Hedgerow made from Hendricks, eldeflower, raspberry and apple juce. An easy drinking cocktail at just 129 calories.
Next up we tried the Rose Gin Blush a refreshing drink with a hint of bitterness made from Edgerton rose gin, pomegranate juice, blackberry syrup and slimline. Said to be full of antioxidants and vitamin C, this really was a winner on all accounts, even if it was a few calories more than my first drink. The other was another pomegranate combo that was smooth with a kick, based on Absolut and also mixed with Cointreau and Pimms. It also boasted antioxidants and vitamin C as well as vitamin B.
The great thing about the cocktails for purists is that all bases - purees and juices - are fresh. Nothing comes from concentrate and thus the sugar levels in the drinks are minimal, hence the lower calories content which doesn't take away from the taste. So Antonio's two and half months research for these beverages was most definitely worth the time and effort. No doubt models and skinnies will flock here to sample his delights. Especially with a fantastic DJ (who also plays at Bungalow 8) setting the mood for the evening and no doubt inducing more cocktail drinking! Absolutely without a doubt one to remember and a bar that goes in the memory bank of recommendations to pass on to friends for where to have that post work drink.
http://www.thetrafalgar.com
www.trisori.com
