The Apothecary, EC2

Please Note: This review is over a year old.

Steve of N21 left this review about Merchants Tavern

Formerly a cocktail bar called Cantaloupe this converted warehouse space was rebranded as a modern swanky trendy bar and dining room in 2003 in keeping with the continued improvement of the general Old Street area, and renamed The Merchants Tavern
But there is truly nothing “Tavern” about this place. It’s a decent enough period building from the outside but inside its all elegant dimly lit modern bar/ restaurant with loads of exposed brick and red leather seating in the front bar section and green leather banquettes and funky lighting and open kitchen, so you can watch the chefs sweat, in the rear restaurant section.
The bar section has a small square serving area to the right as you enter with wooden bar stools which has four unmarked gold keg pumps and the fact that I had to ask what were on them was enough proof that I was nowhere near trendy enough to drink here. For the record the odd pump has Camden Hells Lager and the central three pump unit was dispensing three Purity Brewing Co. beers and although my Session IPA was pleasant enough, at £3.50 for a half I didn’t need any telling that I was not the target demographic for this one and I’ll be leaving it to the young upwardly mobile Hoxtonites in the future.

On 21^st December 2018 - no rating submitted
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