Ordering an omelette is an efficient way to evaluate a French bistro. An Italian trattoria might be keenly assessed with risotto. Much the same, any credible bar would do well to master the Hemingway, which is made exceptionally well at One Club Row in Shoreditch but isn’t on the menu at Chiave. The two venues are close to one another — one an Italian bar, the other described as “New York-style” by people who have never been to New York.
But I lean too heavily on rum these days and so decided to test Chiave with a negroni instead. Like appraising a bistro with steak frites and a trattoria with carbonara. Works just as well. And it was grand — elegant, balanced and full bodied, just as a negroni should be. I want to feel something halfway down the glass and be compelled to order a second immediately after finishing the first.
