Gin and tonics and our balmy climes are a match made in sweaty heaven, so it’s probably for the best that The White Rabbit’s little backyard garden’s boosting its drinks programme with a gin spin.
This is part of the new wave of improvements to the drinks at The Lo & Behold Group’s establishments now that it has a new bar mentor, Julian Serna, who cut his teeth at bars in Australia like Eau de Vie in Sydney. So, fresh at The Rabbit Hole is a 15-strong menu of gin, tonic and garnish combinations.
A curated selection of gin labels across categories like London Dry and floral are stocked here, along with labels like berry-coloured Sipsmith Sloe ($15) and Bavarian Black Forest-infused Monkey 47 ($22) it calls Complex & Unexpected, and spirits like the olive-tinged Gin Mare ($18) and fresh floral G’Vine Floraison ($16) the bar boldly dubs The New Classics. Each gin’s characteristics are matched to garnishes like rose petals, strawberry slices and basil – some picked from their garden – and are stretched out with a housemade dry tonic.
Unique finds like the Whitley Neill ($18), enhanced with exotic African add-ins like baobab and cape gooseberries, are topped with a spear of the same tart, yellow berries and wedges of dehydrated grapefruit, and a cleaner Death’s Door ($16) G&T gets a jolt from dried fennel and green apple slices.
For nibbling, there are six new sweet crêpes ($15-$22) in flavours such as yuzu butter and sugar, salted caramel and Nutella, built with Bordier butter from Brittany. So pull on your linen pants and wiggle into your maxi dresses – there’s some cool sweating to be done at this garden bar.