The weather prediction may be rain and floods, but London is going dry. With Christmas and New Year’s boozing over and new initiative Dry January underway, people are making up for overindulgence by trading cocktails for mocktails.
Notting Hill-based alcohol-free Redemption Bar—which invites you to “spoil yourself without spoiling yourself”—is in the vanguard of this health-conscious movement. The brainchild of ex-Virgin brand director Catherine Salway (pictured below middle), Redemption offers Londoners a night out without the pressure to drink. (Catherine seems to be onto something: a recent report found London leads the country in drinking less.)
Located in the iconic Goldfinger factory on Goldborne Road, Redemption isn’t just a mocktail bar—it also serves up a great selection of vegetarian food, most in the £5 range. Menu items include plantain pancakes and meze platter as well as daily specials and delicious desserts (we loved the cheesecake), all with mostly organic ingredients. And the goodness doesn’t stop there: half the space is the gastro bar while the other half is a workshop which upcycles interesting pieces of furniture, courtesy of a social enterprise that teaches skills to underemployed people living in the community. So you might walk in for a coco-rita (coconut water, fresh lime, agave) and walk out with a beautifully restored retro chair!
With a laid-back vibe, Redemption is the sort of place you can head with some friends or go solo with a book and let the evening slip away while sipping on some scrummy drinks.
The only caveat is the bar currently closes at 10 pm. On our recent visit we arrived at 9, assuming Redemption would have regular bar hours, at least until 11. When we left I’d be lying to say the pub directly opposite didn’t tempt us. Luckily common sense prevailed and we decided to venture home early.
Waking the next morning bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, a grin swept across my face—I was ready to tackle the weekend without a fuzzy feeling from the night before. The forecast definitely calls for a dry spell.
For more info:
www.redemptionbar.com | Goldfinger Factory, 13-15 Golborne Rd, Portobello
