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Celebrate the mighty Margarita at the Cointreau pop-up at the South Place Hotel

A lavender margarita at the Acapulco Pop Up at South Place Hotel

The mighty Margarita is surely one of the world’s sexiest cocktails. To many of us, drinking one can prompt thoughts of palm trees, sunsets and warm summer nights. While there have been many twists on the concoction, this year marks the 70th anniversary of the original Margarita cocktail.

To celebrate this notable birthday of one of the world’s favourite tipples, orange liqueur brand Cointreau has teamed up with London’s South Place Hotel to create a pop-up. The Acapulco bar will bring a slice of Mexico to the Secret Garden at the plush City hotel from 29 June until 15 September. The space is well prepared for all weathers with a retractable roof and heaters available should our fickle British summer let us down.

Situated on the first floor of the South Place Hotel, the Margarita Loves Cointreau pop-up will feature cocktails, waterfalls and palm trees. The venue takes inspiration from creator Margaret ‘Margarita’ Sames, who famously declared, ‘a Margarita without Cointreau is not worth its salt’. The pop-up will be serving classic Margaritas, as well a twists on the original, with flavours such as lavender, fruity or citrus chai. The pop-up will also feature a special hot line at the bar so drinkers can ring up and order a Margarita at any time.

During the summer, there will be a selection of Margarita-infused special events. On 22 July, 12 August and 19 August will be Mexican-inspired Sunday brunches. Meanwhile, there will be Margarita masterclasses and DJ sets every Friday.

The Cointreau Acapulco Pop Up opens from 29 June until 15 September 2018. At the Secret Garden, South Place Hotel, 3 South Place, City of London, EC2M 2AF. Nearest station: Moorgate or Liverpool Street. For more information, visit the Cointreau website or the South Place Hotel website.

For a guide to what’s on in London in August, click here.

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Posted in bars, London, Nightlife

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Tags: City of London, cocktails, Pop up, South Place Hotel

Angler review: Top class seafood in The City in this newly-crowned Michelin starred restaurant

Oct 3

Posted by Metro Girl

Good presentation: slow cooked duck leg, plum sauce, water chestnuts and bok choi

Apéritif: Torino Spritz – Kamm & Sons, Cocchi Torino, Blackcurrant, Hibiscus and Prosecco

I must confess I rarely go into the City of London for dinner – it tends to be a daytime destination for me. However, there is now at least one venue that will be drawing me back to the Square Mile once the sun has gone down. Angler, a seafood restaurant at the South Place Hotel, is a new addition to the D&D London group and opened in 2012. Last week, it was announced the eaterie had been awarded a Michelin star… and no wonder.

A group of four of us dined at Angler a month ago for my birthday – I had given my sister the brief that I wanted a restaurant with a view and she knows I love seafood so the venue was a complete surprise. Entering the South Place Hotel near Moorgate, we were whisked up to the 7th floor where the Angler restaurant sat alongside its alfresco terrace bar. The dining area was situated behind aluminium screens, with a stunning design feature of a silver flecked, mirrored ceiling by Grace & Webb. We were shown to a large circular table right by the floor-to-ceiling windows, giving the room lots of light and views of the Gherkin, Heron Tower and Tower 42.

Fishy: Oysters to start, followed by steamed Cornish cod with soft herbs, smoked salmon, tomato salad and summer vegetables

Sweet tooth: Chocolate fondant with cherry yoghurt

Although most of my party ordered from the set menu (£25 for two courses, £30 for three), I ordered my starter from the main menu. I ordered a small portion of three Colchester rocks oysters, served with rye bread, shallot vinegar, Tabasco and lemon, although a bigger portion is available for a main. The condiments certainly complemented the dish, which I enjoyed, but it is certainly an acquired taste as I know many people who don’t like them. For my main, I returned to the set menu and ordered the steamed Cornish cod with soft herbs, smoked salmon, tomato salad and summer vegetables. The cod was steamed to perfection, came apart easily with my fork and was melt-in-the-mouth delicious. Despite the many layers of the dish, it was filling, but not too heavy and it wasn’t long before my plate was clean. My godmother ordered the slow cooked duck leg, plum sauce, water chestnuts and bok choi, which she thoroughly enjoyed. The presentation was brilliant, with the duck surrounded by a swirl of plum sauce droplets. We completed our main course with sides of green beans and heritage potatoes. To finish with, my sister and I shared a gorgeous chocolate fondant and cherry yoghurt ice cream, which was a surprising combination that worked well together.

Overall, I have nothing but good to say. The service was absolutely brilliant, the dining room was comfortable and light and the food was delicious and presented beautifully. For the high quality of food, it is pretty good value, especially for The City. I’m not surprised to hear it was awarded a Michelin star, executive chef Tony Fleming and his team thoroughly deserve it.