One Of London's Best Speakeasies Now Has A Meat Smoker
Of all the gin joints in all the boroughs in all of London, Evans & Peel is certainly one of the most playful. Opened in 2012, when there wasn't yet a speakeasy on every street corner, having to present a 'case' to a private dick before they slid back a secret door, revealing a bar behind it, was actually novel. Like Sam Spade in The Maltese Falcon, Evans & Peel has stuck to its guns: you still have to go through the detective spiel. But this place hasn't rested on its laurels.
The bar's latest addition is its own smoker — and with it a menu of Texas style brisket, Carolina pulled pork and the mouth-watering like. OK, it's not an especially new concept, but the proof's in the meat, and Evans & Peel has that down to a tee. Not only are the BBQ pork ribs cooked to fall-off-the-bone perfection, they come with an impressive selection of sides: homemade pickles and slaw; creamy mac and cheese and — best of all — root beer beans.
Our praise doesn't end there. Evans & Peel have mastered the inventive-but-not pointless cocktail: the Aviation Rhubarb Remix is potentially an improvement on the classic it's inspired by — no small feat in the cocktail world. Of course, we have to try their classic dry gin martini too; it's one of the best we've tasted in months.
As for the deep fried apple pie, which we didn't have room for: that'll have to be the next case we open at Evans & Peel.
Evans & Peel Detective Agency, 310c Earls Court Road, SW5 9BA
Last Updated 09 April 2018