By Paola Bassanese
So where do the health-conscious, calorie-counting City high-flyers go? From now on, their Mecca is very likely to be Dirty Martini Bishopsgate, just opposite Liverpool Street station.
The City venue has been given the West End treatment boasting a club-like environment with live DJs playing and a varied selection of cocktails. At the preview party DJ Stephanie Jay played an eclectic mix of club classics which created an uplifting atmosphere.
I had a quick chat with Dirty Martini’s manager and cocktail guru Matt Greenwood, who explained that he developed a whole selection of skinny cocktails in the drinks menu to cater for the calorie-conscious and particularly for the female clientele. The key to keeping the calorie count low in the cocktails is replacing sugar with low-GI ingredient agave syrup. Using fresh fruit juice and a slightly lower quantity of alcohol in each cocktail also reduces the calorie count.
I tried the watermelon and pomegranate skinny cocktail which tasted very refreshing – I wonder if soon you could have some wheatgrass or other superfood in your cocktail menu (broccoli anyone?)!
If you are already too skinny fear not as you can indulge in the Dirty Martini signature Carrot Cake cocktail…
Dirty Martini also runs cocktail making classes – even large groups are catered for as the bar area is very spacious (packages start at £25 per person). I can imagine many team building exercises will be happening by the bar…
Dirty Martini is also in Covent Garden and Oxford Circus (Hanover Square) and the plan is to expand further.