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Taking the snobbery out of wine in its east London premises – which also happen to be a Bethnal Green railway arch – there’s nothing old fashioned about Sager & Wilde: until now. The venue’s rear mezzanine is now dedicated to the iconic whiskey cocktail, and they’ve gone all-out to shape a dreamy 1950s bureau from the space. Classy, vintage armchairs and sofas (probably sourced from some flea market in the ’hood) are laid out around a desk complete with photo frames and a cabinet stacked with glassware. The effect is something so atmospheric, you forget the corrugated ceiling and rattling trains overhead. One of the staff was even using the room for a power nap, ‘Mad Men’-style, when we visited before restaurant service.
A succinct menu lists five takes on the old fashioned. I ordered an olive oil version, which infuses bourbon with oil through a fat-washing process (sounds gross, actually fine) for a silky drink. The toasted coconut old fashioned was a sweet twist way too easy to knock back.
Members of staff run upstairs to check on you, but you can imagine becoming an afterthought when restaurant service hits its peak. At least you’re in for a secretive drink. Although, once word gets out about this little lounge, we doubt there’ll be much room left for executive napping.