“And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!’
He chortled in his joy.
from Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There (1872).
I usually don’t review bars. Even though I really enjoy an occasional cocktail, I prefer wine and am therefore definitely not an expert in mixology. I will however write a little post about Callooh Callah in Shoreditch because it must be the cutest bar in the world, inspired by the enchanted world of Alice in Wonderland.
A mixture of rustic and stylish and definitely very funky, Calloh Callah has won me over straight away with its incredible attention to detail. Look how lovely they have done the menu! And when you then walk through the wardrobe to enter the back room you feel like you have ended up in Alice’s world. (this experience aided by the degree of intoxication obviously)
The cocktails, admittedly, are not cheap and they are also not the best cocktails I have ever had. However, they do rank among the most creative with the most inventive names and ingredients (even if the combination don’t always fully work). For the winter menu, drinks are inspired by birds and it’s fun to read the menu.
If you have almost forgotten or are to young to remember how tapes used to look like, a visit to the Callooh Callah bathroom is highly recommended. The walls are completely made out of old tapes, I even found one with German Christmas songs. Love it!
Don’t go to Callooh Callah for faultless cocktails but go there for a voyage into a parallel universe full of mysteries and without obvious reason.
To fully enjoy the charm of this bar I would recommend to go during the week, otherwise it’s far too busy (I am really getting old it seems). A little tip for the cheapskates among you – if you order your cocktail at the bar, you save on the service charge which is more than a pound per drink… This is too much to carry a glass for 2 metres, I am sorry to say.
- Drinks: 6/10
- Ambiance: 9/10
- Service: 7/10
- Value for money: 5/10
- Chances or Returning: 50%
- Verdict: overpriced but so charming… *sigh*
(For more on Callooh Calley please also read what Happiness Project London has to say about it.)
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