Perhaps banking on the wave of Guinness interest to keep frothing — and just in time for St Patrick’s Day — city hotspot the Ned is launching a three month, pop-up bar dedicated to the Black Stuff.
Opening on March 17, found on the lower ground floor within the Long Bar, the space is an official partnership with the Irish stout, and will be decorated with Toucan posters and vintage Guinness paraphernalia.
St Patrick’s Day itself aside, the bar will open each week from Tuesdays to Saturdays, from 5.30pm “until late”. The bar will be for walk-ins only, with no reservations accepted. The Ned are promising the freshest pint in the City, which is attributes to having the shortest lines — the tubing carrying the beer from the keg to the tap — within the Square Mile.
“We’re delighted to bring the Guinness Bar to The Ned, offering our guests an exciting and immersive way to enjoy Guinness in the City,” said Jack Cohn, food and beverage director at The Ned. “From perfectly poured pints to an innovative menu of food and cocktails, we’ve created an experience that is both authentic and elevated — ideal for celebrating St Patrick’s Day and beyond.”
As Cohn says, alongside the pints themselves will be a number of cocktails, including: a Royal Velvet, a riff on the traditional Black Velvet, swapping the Champagne for Nyetimber and adding cassis; a St James Sour, named for the Guinness brewery, which blends scotch, Guinness, citrus, egg white and pinot noir; and a stout-infused riff on the espresso martini, called the Barkley Café, where rum, espresso, cacao and Guinness are combined. All are around £16.
Alongside all the booze will be a number of snacks and small dishes, includinga a mini beef and onion pie with Guinness gravy, Guiness Cheddar croquettes with garlic mayonnaise and parmesan and, for £38, crisps served with caviar.
The Ned opened in 2017 after a £200million refurbishment of the former Midland Bank headquarters. Operated by the Soho House group, it’s long been popular with a celebrity crowd including Eddie Redmayne, Woody Harrelson, Jenna Coleman, Stanley Tucci, and Poppy Delevingne.
For more information, visit thened.com
