Charlotte’s Bistro – Chiswick
As Mrs. Gin and I set forth in search of evening sustenance we pondered our minimum requirement for a ‘gin joint’. We agreed that at least 10 ‘speciality’ gins must be on offer but that the most important ingredient was knowledgeable bar staff. We have both been to bars where many gins were available but were just plonked unceremoniously on the bar with ice and a nondescript slice of lemon curdling away in the glass; and often at a premium price.
This brought us on to the next requirement; a selection of garnishes. The garnish can make a big difference and a good bar tender should be able to point you in the direction of which garnish works best with which gin. By which point we had reached our destination, Charlotte’s Bistro in Chiswick.
We had high hopes. Charlotte’s has started a ‘Gin School’ on Monday nights at which different craft producers are invited to introduce their wares and Charlotte’s provides a glass of something tasty, all gratis. Excellent idea! Previous guests have included The London No. 1 Gin, Filliers Gin, Nelson’s Gin, Pothecary Gin, and Conker and Fishers Gin, both of which were offered to the public first at Charlotte’s.
Gin School is first come, first served and starts at 18.30 so if you are planning to go, get there early. The bar area is small but comfortable, with a larger restaurant area to the rear serving excellent food, as we can attest. As it was bank holiday Monday, there was no visiting distiller, but for die hards, they had Gin Detention instead. This consisted of a sheet of paper with a description of three different London Dry gins on and a glass of neat gin; we had to match the gin to the descriptions.
Well, after much slurping both Mrs. Gin and I said number one. Which fortunately, it was. The descriptions matched the following; 1 Two Birds Gin 2 Little Bird Gin and 3. Gordon’s Gin. A great little quiz, we agreed.
Our prize was a cocktail or a G&T each so we delved into the gin menu where there was a choice of 29 with a guest gin every week. Mrs. Gin opted for a Martini made with Two Birds Gin. We chatted with Sam, the barman; he’s so passionate about his job that has has acquired his own cocktail spoon and measure in beautiful copper. Mrs. Gin was so taken with her drink I had to work hard for the smallest taste; it was so good I had a Two Birds G&T with a recommended grapefruit garnish which hit the spot nicely. I resolved to track down more Two Birds for an in-depth trial.
Mrs. Gin followed with a Brighton Gin with Fever Tree and orange garnish while I had a Fishers Gin with Fever Tree, garnished with rosemary. We were now chatting with Tom, the head barman, who told us that Fisher’s gin was made in the Adnam’s distillery but not part of the Adnam’s group. The gin was earthy, distinctive and smelled of pine. Tom explained that Charlotte’s was the first to stock Fishers and that he had come up with the recommended garnish to complement the taste. Mrs. Gin and I exchanged looks and nodded. As we made our way up the stairs to the restaurant we both agreed; Charlotte’s ticks all the boxes, a bona fide gin joint indeed. We are planning our next visit; on a Monday, of course.
