I Know A Place

Dogs’n’tails anyone? I know a place! Doling out shake and stir classics, local boutique beers and a big old list of red hot wieners, I Know A Place is our kind of joint.

The snug bar that you need to bump, “sorry” and “excuse me” your way around is ably ‘manned’ by Sarah Miller, which is a welcome relief in a scene that really does put the cock in cocktail. The Canadian’s CV drops names like Gin Palace, Seamstress and even the kick ass Kodiak Club. Miller is a dab hand at working the signature cocktail list, which is geared towards those with a taste for sugar’n’spice. If the likes of the Kingston Punch - dark rum, honey, caraway syrup, more sugar (!), lime and thyme makes you reach for an insulin shot, skip to the classics. How about a Morning Glory Fizz? Blended Scotch whiskey knocks knees with absinthe, lemon juice, sugar and egg white, and according to a menu quote from Harry Johnston it “will give good appetite and quiet the nerves.” Good to know Harry, because they’re slinging seven types of gourmet hot dog in the yard.You can’t go past a classic NYC street dog with a strong vinegar thwack of sauerkraut and American mustard, but then again, nothing says classy night out like meat with more meat. The homemade chilli cheese dog and the house dog with crisp bacon and fried onion deliver, although there’s an imbalance of too much chewy bun – we prefer them cheap, white and treading the line between bread and cake.

Inside, it’s all dark leather, encyclopaedias and a mash up of hip hop and jazz for grown up good times. Outside, there’s a big old concrete courtyard with metal tables and an effing huge street art mural by the Everfresh set. It’s your favourite cocktail bar mixed with your local beer garden finished with the hottest of dogs. I Know A Place is a place you need to know.

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