Many pubs will begin to launch summer menus and pop-ups over the coming weeks, but one that caught our eye recently was the AbraCachaça Brazilian pop-up at The Well in Clerkenwell. It’s lively, bright and fun with refreshing drinks and tasty nibbles – a bit of a hidden gem in this part of town.
Yes I know that Farringdon and the surrounding areas isn’t always known as the most happening area of London, you find many of the pubs to be traditional or ‘alternative’ rather than fresh and new. But I guess that’s why this pop-up caught my attention so much, it’s unassuming and unpretentious.
AbraCachaça has been developed in partnership with cachaça brand Ypióca and is residing in the cocktail lounge, downstairs at The Well. The lounge has been transformed into a beach bar, bursting with Brazilian spirit and complete with beach balls, birds of paradise, jungle trees and tropical fish tanks, you begin to feel as though you may not be in London anymore.
The cocktails from the special menu come in at £8.50 each and there’s a selection of four. My least favourite, although very exotic, was Cloak & Daggers, which combines Ypióca Prata, mango, fresh lime and chilli, the latter of which I found way too overbearing for me to enjoy. The Houdini, made from Ypióca Prata, mango and coconut milk was nice, but quite simplistic and I really couldn’t taste the cachaça. The Illusionist is the perfect drink for a hot summer’s day – with invigorating watermelon cloaking the Ypióca and sugar syrup. But finally, my favourite was the Gueta; Ypióca Prata, peach schnapps and lime juice served over crushed ice with a huge splodge of apricot jam and a spring of mint. I really loved this combo, it was light and fresh but indulgent with the jam. All of the usual dirnks menu is also available, so there’s something for everyone.
The food is a mix of Brazilian street food dishes and can be ordered in platters for parties. Some of our favourites included spiced prawn skewers, spiced pulled pork sliders, bruchetta and smoked cheese bolinhos (smoked cheese deep fried and ready to explode in your mouth).
All in all, if work is getting a little to much and you feel like you need a tropical escape, booking a flight out of here should probably be your first option, but a visit to The Well could come a close second. There are lots of deals for groups and parties, so to find out more, visit: http://www.downthewell.co.uk/index.php/the-pickle-jar/
Saúde (cheers)!