First, you smell a julep, the nose-slap of muddled mint that revives the senses from whatever slumber had befallen them. Then comes the bourbon, the court jester that brings no pretence, merely joy, but too much of it and sadness howls. Finally, sugar, that sweet dose of innocence, a nod to bright island life in the mad streets of a tired city. The mint julep, in various forms, is the stand-out drink at the New York-inspired tavern on the ground floor of Cato, a classy new cocktail bar in Covent Garden.
It’s overseen by Angelos Bafas, who can be seen pouring and fermenting, pickling and bouncing herbs (grown in-house). But Bafas resides mostly in the upmarket basement bar, which boasts a drinks list of wit and guile, one inspired by synaesthesia, “exploring flavour through colour”. Cocktails are complex: under “pink”, find one of vodka, watermelon and radish; choose “yellow” and witness gin with chamomile and sweet clover. There’s no better mixologist in town than Bafas.
