Callooh Callay Review

“O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!, he chortled in his joy.” Now, call me particular, but I only like going to a bar if its central theme is also the subject of a major motion picture currently showing in all good cinemas.

Okay, so it doesn’t happen that often. It’s only happened the once, recently, when I galumphed along for a whimsical evening at an Alice in Wonderland-themed cocktail bar in London’s now not-quite-so-trendy Shoreditch. But you never know, it might just happen again in my lifetime.

Okay, I’m talking utter nonsense, but then so was Lewis Carroll when he wrote Jabberwocky, the bonkers Through the Looking Glass poem from which Callooh Callay derives its inspiration.

Actually, in truth, while the bar’s name comes courtesy of the poem - and there is the odd nod to it here and there, such as the back ‘jubjub’ bar - Callooh Callay’s theme is more accurately described as chaotically ‘quirky’.

For starters, that back room bar is accessed through a huge wooden wardrobe, Narnia-style, where a gramophone, full of cocktail, can be ordered and shared (or not, as the case may be). There are entire walls made of old cassette tapes from random bands and, on one’s way to the toilets, it’s difficult not to get stuck gazing at them for several minutes whilst friends sit wondering “Where the devil has Kelly gone? Let’s hope she hasn’t accidentally fallen down a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar anthropomorphic creatures.”

We are in Shoreditch, so it almost goes without saying that along with the sofa made out of a bathtub, there’s a riot of other groovy, chintzy, mismatched furniture, once the pride and joy of Nan’s the nation over, and now the default decor in most establishments around these parts.

Oh, and the drinks menu looks like a foldout London Underground tube map. If I wasn’t already sold by the secret wardrobe passageway and the cassette tape wall, this definitely tipped the scale. I’m a sucker for any kind of clever twist on a well-known brand or design (within the boundaries of copyright law, of course).

But, what does one drink in such a magical bar? Ordering a pint or glass of wine in here would be the equivalent of stamping the words “I’m a killjoy totally void of imagination” across one’s forehead. Fortunately, there are loads of interesting cocktails to navigate through; in fact, way too many to come to a decision without making the waitress pop back and patiently asking for the twentieth time, “Are you ready to order?”

Help is at hand though: the bar staff here are proper geeky about drinks. They know stuff about the subtle nuances of spirits that I didn’t even know was possible to know. The cocktail chat foreplay most definitely adds a sense of occasion – it is a cocktail drinking ‘experience’, after all - but, honestly, for me, it’s pretty much all about the cute names.

So, on to the Piccadilly line (‘sour’) section first, for a Bitter-Sweet Symphony (love The Verve, how could I not), made with cognac, passion fruit and lemon. I then changed (at Green Park natch) to the Victoria Line (‘sweet’) on recommendation of our lovely waitress, for an Afternoon Twee, comprising Hendricks, maraschino, and lavender.

Then one of us ventured on to the Metropolitan line (‘confused’) for a Raisin the Bar, while the other got back on the Piccadilly for an Anise ‘N’ Nephew. At this stage of proceedings I’m not exactly sure which of us went where. As well as being rather particular about the movie theme bar thing, and something of a cocktail philistine because without exception I felt every single drink tasted absolutely delicious, I’m clearly also a complete lightweight, and these drinks were very, very strong.

Cue another round of joyous chortling as we delved into a well-conceived food menu, consisting of exactly the kind of tasty, nibbly, savoury things that go well when out drinking. Hummus and home made bread (really good), Maris Piper hand-cut chips (really good), charcuterie board (really good), risotto balls stuffed with mozzarella (really, really good). Sure, three cocktails in the palate is probably not as discerning as it might normally be, but these were definitely a huge cut above your average deep fried bar snack selection, and provided the perfect end to a ‘frabjously’ tipsy evening...

But then…‘Wake up, Kelly dear!’ said her friend; ‘Why, what a long sleep you’ve had!’

‘Oh, I’ve had such a curious dream!’ said Kelly, and she told her friend, as well as she could remember them, about all her strange cocktail adventures; and when she had finished, her friend kissed her, and said, ‘It was a curious dream, dear, certainly: but now run off for the night bus; it’s getting late.’ So Kelly got up and ran off, thinking while she ran, as well she might, what a wonderful dream it had been.
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Callooh Callay Description

Callooh Callay is a bar and cocktail lounge in the heart of Shoreditch. Callooh Callay pride themselves on their impressive cocktail menu from cool classics to disco drinks and connoisseur cocktails, wines from small but distinguished vineyards and microbrewery bottled beers. A great place to meet friends for lunch, grab some after work cocktails and a bite to eat, or enjoy your weekend - eating, drinking and dancing until late.

Customer Reviews for Callooh Callay

Average (based on 1 votes): 1 Atmosphere: Value: Quality:

The following customer reviews are not endorsed by Fluid London and are simply those of users who wish to publish their independent experiences of Callooh Callay.

“Brilliant fun, and cool atmosphere. If you're drinking cocktails, you have to try the gramophone full of booze. Loads of fun to drink and delicious”
Atmosphere: Value: Quality:
Carly, Highgate (2 years 5 months 12 days ago)

Callooh Callay Opening Hours

Additional Information

• Cuisine Type: Bar
• Average Price: £40.00
• Website: Visit the Callooh Callay website
• Group: (Independent/Freehouse)