The Zetter Townhouse cocktail lounge, Farringdon

You should never judge a book by it's cover, a cat by it's whiskers or a hotel bar by it's classically beautiful facade. This Farringdon beauty might even have a boxing Kangaroo in the corner...

 

The beautiful exterior of the Zetter Townhouse doesn't in anyway hint at the eccentric parlor contained within. Stuffed with a bevy of nick-knacks, opulent artworks, mismatched furniture and kitsch oddments, whenever we happen to be near Farringdon I try and encourage a bee-line towards the overstuffed couches inside.

'Accidentally' ending up there on several occasions (I'm not really sure why anyone still trusts me to navigate, I certainly wouldn't) it is perfect for settling in for a couple of hours on a moody Saturday afternoon, and booking ahead for a post-work prandial never seems to be a bad decision.

 
And this cocktail bar isn't all show - their bartender concoctions are delectable; from the house specialties (one of the drinks featuring 'almond poison' aka. aromatic bitters in the same family as angostura) to the classic staples of margaritas. I could almost write a sonnet to the espresso martinis we had recently. It was a perfect way to round off a back massage (in a teeny place in Clerkenwell) and brunch at the neighbouring Modern Pantry. Just bliss.

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I bet you thought I was only teasing, didn't you?

Each time we go, there seems to be another nook to explore. Well, this visit solved the 'how to find a boxing glove wearing kangaroo in London' conundrum. It was keeping me from sleeping...