Reverend JW Simpson (Bar)

Top 10 things I learnt about Reverend JW Simpson bar when I visited:

1)  I’ve finally found a place worthy of a weekly pilgrimage; a bar based at the formal home of the Reverend JW Simpson on Goodge Street.

2)  I never understood the term “shabby chic” until I visited this bar. The wallpaper is peeling off, the paint looks a bit slapdash and the walls are crumbling; yet somehow it still looks rather fashionable.

3)  I was looked after by clergywoman, Jodie, who gave me a guided tour of the “parish” – Reverend Simpson’s former bedroom, the door that leads to nowhere and the bathroom behind a wall.

4)  Strangely enough, the previous occupant of this site was the Capricorn Club – a sex club which was eventually closed down by the police. I am not sure Reverend Simpson would have approved. The blood red paint from the Capricorn Club was stripped away to reveal Reverend Simpson’s chic old home.

5)  Forget about wine or beer, this bar is the church of cocktails. The cocktail list itself isn’t extensive; but that’s because it’s about quality not quantity.

6)  They have the most beautiful selection of tumblers I’ve ever known, which are kindly displayed on the menu, so you know exactly what you will be getting. They almost resemble a chalice used for communion.

7)  The cocktails I would recommend: Mead Feast, so refreshing you come out like a new man after confession; and the Prune Manhattan, which adds a twist to an old classic, the prune infusion helping to alleviate a sometimes overly strong whisky taste in Manhattans.

8)  You’ve got to love a bar that offers complimentary nibbles, which are charitably refilled regularly, along with tap water.

9)  With all cocktails under £10, this is one religious experience that won’t cost the earth.

10) They have the formula all churches should follow to beat low attendance numbers and dwindling coffers: provide a convivial atmosphere, sell some great tasting cocktails and create a great environment for friendly banter....read more