Beach Blanket Babylon Cocktail Bar Review

I like Shoreditch because every time I go some place there, it seems so normal when you first look at it but then upon closer inspection, there's always some weird thing about it. This time it was at the  Beach Blanket Babylon.

Firstly, the name. I don't get the name because Beach Blanket Babylon is nothing like its supposed gaudy namesake (read here for more on the original Beach Blanket Babylon courtesy of Wiki of course). So the name already is quite weird.  But I want to be clear that I love the weirdness.  

The decor itself is pretty classy when you first walk in. There is a statue of an eagle or something outside which combined with the fact it was a wet and miserable day when I went looks like it should have featured in an Edgar Allan Poe poem. The inside is spacious; tall ceilings, practically floor to ceiling windows at the back which means there was enough space for the bar to dominate the centre.

The weirdness probably became a little more apparent when I was expecting either leather bound menus or just one with the name on it.  Nope.  Naked lady it is then.

Luckily the cocktails were normal excellent ones. A combination of Beach Blanket Babylon creations and classics. The service was great. Really attentive and someone had called earlier in the day double checking I was still coming and they were looking forward to seeing me. They're also a little cheeky which I loved. When I ordered a drink for myself and my friend who was imminently coming, the guy said "It's OK if you're just getting them for yourself, no one's judging". Brilliant.

It's a great place to go with mates (I was having a long overdue catch up with my friend. I say overdue, I had seen her the weekend before but it was with other friends and we simply have too much to say to each other), it's a great place to go with a date (and I did spy a few awkward dates going on, yikes).

A lady disengaged herself from the group she was with and congratulated me on having a shot with my drink.  "Oh, it's only Prosecco" I said.  Her disappointment was palpable.