Aprés, Marylebone, London – Review

There are lots of cocktail bars in London and sometimes it can be hard to find a good one. But, I think Aprés, Marylebone, is a great little find and could be the one for you. Aprés is open 7 days a week, 5pm until late, so there really is no excuse for you to not pop in and have a cheeky cocktail. Aside from turning up and ordering from a list of great drinks, you have the option of making bookings from 2 up to 300 guests (if you are indeed that popular!). The venue can also offer bookings for high profile events and is perfect for corporate events, media launches, wedding receptions, filming & photo shoots. The dark and seductive interior certainly lends itself to all occasions, whether it be parties, gatherings, or even just a romantic night out.

Sat outside on a cold(ish) September evening on the bar`s terrace, we were warmed by some of the biggest and most effective outdoor heaters I`ve seen at a bar. They really did warm the cockles and allowed us to take in the sounds and sights of London. And as you would expect, there are plenty of sights to be seen on a Saturday night! There was also a great selection of shisha to be smoked outside and you can select from a vast range of flavours. As a non-smoker, I chose to pass on this opportunity; however, my friends enjoyed it and said it was a really nice addition to the entire experience. Complete with top service, the outdoor terrace was fun, lively and enjoyable.

`But what did you drink?` I hear you ask. Well, let me tell you:

Firstly, Apres is a great cocktail bar. The range of cocktails available is more than enough to keep even the most thirsty drinker content, and also, we found the mix of flavours worked well in every drink we tried. One of my favourites was the Rhubarb Bellini which cost a very, very reasonable £7.00. The cocktail was a blend tillmans rhubarb cordial, prosecco & peychaud bitters – the balance of flavours was to die for and the rhubarb was the perfect match for the prosecco.

For £8 we also tried the `Appletini`; a blend of 3 vodkas, a touch of gin, cloudy apple juice & freshly grated apple, completed with a shake & served martini style, with a caramelized apple slice. This was a flavoursome, fresh and tasty cocktail. As a fan of all things apple flavoured, this was a real hit for me and the others in the group enjoyed it too. Other great cocktails included the `Passion Flower` (koskenkorva vanilla vodka, fresh passion fruit, passion fruit juice & gomme), and the `Raspberry Mule` (vodka, raspberries & ginger beer, built over crushed ice). All in all, the cocktails were top notch and fantastic value by anyone`s standards.

Food at Aprés has a really relaxed, tapas feel to it and the quality of the food is also excellent. To keep our stomachs from rumbling, we tried the gorgeous cherry trimmed chicken wings, in a sweet sticky marinade served with a blue cheese dressing (£6.00). I would also recommend the Mini Burgers Done 3 Ways! The selection seemed to cater for a real range of tastes and individual preferences. However, I should add that we were sampling the summer 2012 menu, so this range is likely to change as we go into winter.

A really fantastic find and a great night out – Aprés is a venue that we will certainly return to in the future.

For more information, please go to http://apres-london.com/