Acqua e Vino

This ballroom-come-bar reeks of the prohibition era and one could be forgiven for thinking it a speakeasy a la Boardwalk Empire. When at award-winning Acqua é Vino we say go gangbusters on the cocktails – the Purple Haze is a refreshing sensation of violet scented gin, and the Cognac and Dom Perignon laden I Ain’t No Burnout Sidecar sounds like a Bogart quote and goes down easy. There’s a lot of fruity gear on the list (Malibu and banana liqueur make the odd, worrying appearance) but a martini is pitch perfect and comes with a choice of 12 salty, tangy garnishes. Not into cocktails? Consult the wine list – they call it the Bible and it actually rivals the Yellow Pages in girth. The beer selection is shorter, but sharp as a tack. Potent Belgian La Chouffe shares space on the list with local Cricketer’s Arms and almost-as-local Ranga Red ale. For snacks, a single char-grilled octopus tentacle or dumplings will do for a twosome, but if you’ve got a crew, go large and demand one of their massive platters of cheese, or oysters. Sit back in an ornate antique lounge chair, cross your legs like a lady (even if you’re a dude) and enjoy a little old-fashioned service. You can even book a table and the booze comes to you – what a novel idea. Now, fetch me my slippers.