If you’re after a refined and polished bar perfect for quiet conversation, Homeboy is not the place. What it is good for, however, is expertly-executed cocktails served in what feels more like a raucous Irish pub. Enter and you’ll be enveloped into a snug, pleasingly low-lit space and affably greeted like a regular, even if you’ve never been here before. It’s a welcome tonic to the monosyllabic, named-after-a-generic-white-bloke bars which have proliferated London of late: there’s ample room on plump Chesterfield banquettes and lots of dark wood. On Thursdays and Sundays your evening will be soundtracked not by vinyl, but by a live Irish band.
There are TVs which, when we visited, were blaring the Six Nations, and once the music actually gets going, this place gets properly noisy. However, the seamlessness of the table service and the lively atmosphere proves that this place is a well-oiled hospitality machine – as do the drinks. Homeboy Bar’s menu features a signature collection of cocktails which have been steadfast inclusions since it opened, but there’s also a list of drinks inspired by Irish idols. The Punk Poet is one of these: it blends Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon with orange zest-infused oil, dark chocolate liqueur and demerara sugar, and it’s moreish, sour and sharp. The emphasis is very much on mixing a bit of Irishness into classic cocktail recipes, and dirty martini drinkers will also enjoy an Irish Sea.
Oh, and arrive hungry. This place doesn’t just knock it out of the park with its cocktails, but they’ve also got a lip-smacking food menu. Veggies should order the Guinness stew, but a standout was the chicken fillet roll, a quintessential find in any Irish deli, with grated cheese, iceberg lettuce, homemade mayo and spicy chicken slices are packed between a pillowy white baguette.
Order this
If you’re a fan of all things dry and briney, order my favourite, The Ace: it’s an elegant and savoury tequila martini with tomato water, peppercorns and just a hint of celery salt.
Time Out tip
Dessert is a dish actually best served as a milkshake, and you won’t find much better than the creamy, chocolatey Frozen Irish Coffee.