MEATliquor

So it's possible you may have heard about MEATliquor before. It's one of those 'trendy' places which there was a lot of hype about not so long ago and I have to say, I have been dying to visit. Finally, last Monday I got the chance and Marcus and I headed off for a late date night of burgers and cocktails.

MEATliquor has a strict 'no reservations' policy so I was happily surprised to find that we didn't have to queue outside (possibly something to do with it being a Monday). As we breezed in, I was hit by a wave of pure atmosphere. The music was loud, the lights low and the decor punky. The majority of the restaurant is in a sunken, domed gallery, which looks pretty spectacular as it (and all the walls) are all covered in an array of black, red and white illustrations.

We made our way through the hubbub to the bar and started perusing the extensive cocktail menu while chatting with the incredibly friendly bar staff. I eventually chose a 'Tipping the Velvet' (a delicious muddle of cognac, merlot, berries and lime) while Marcus went for a 'Kurwa Sour' (a scrumptious mix of vodka, passionfruit and absinthe). Then, drinks in hand, we made our way to our table.

By this point, I was a very happy bunny. The electric atmosphere of the place had me buzzing and I literally couldn't wait to start picking my food. Luckily, a waitress quickly turned up with menus and we gave our orders. I went for the 'Mushroom Swiss' (two beef patties, mushrooms, cheese and all the little extras) where as Marcus went for the 'Green Chilli Cheese Burger' (essentially a cheese burger with chilli butter). We also ordered some onion rings to share.

A couple of sips of our cocktails later, our food arrived in front of us. Presented on a mental tray with no cutlery in sight, this was definitely finger food you had to get stuck into. The first thing that hit me was the size of the onion rings. They were huge! And crispy. And delicious.

Then the burgers. Mine was cooked to perfection- rare in the middle and wonderfully juicy. Each bite was mouthwatering and I found myself wolfing it down at break neck speed. Marcus' chilli burger was also yummy but unbelievably hot- the chilli butter was more like slices of green chilli with a light butter coat! Neither of us are the best with extra spicy food, so tears were shed as we sampled the burger. Before long, I was running to the bar for a large supply of water. Despite this however, the burger was still divine.

After our food had vanished, we found ourselves browsing the cocktail menu once more. I chose 'Jamie's Marvellous Medicine' (absinthe, coconut cream and raspberries) while Marcus went for a 'Louisiana Jam' (a mix of Southern Comfort and apricot jam). I found my second cocktail to be a little too heavy on the absinthe, but despite this we both enjoyed our drinks! We settled down happily with our drinks, letting our food go down while enjoying our bustling surroundings.

MEATliquor is definitely an experience. If your idea of a good restaurant experience is a peaceful dinner in a place where you can clearly see exactly what is in front of you and you're given the instruments in order to eat it with, then maybe MEATliquor isn't for you. But if you're willing to throw this ideal to the wind and get a little messy, then give MEATliquor a go. The food is great, the atmosphere greater and the entertaining drinks menu is the icing on the metaphorical cake (or burger as it may be...). I thoroughly enjoyed my experience here and can't wait to return.