db drinks: Little Bat

db heads up north this week to Callooh Callay’s sister bar Little Bat in Islington, where we have a chance encounter with Steve McQueen.

The concept: Having named his first bar after an utterance in Carroll’s Jaberwocky poem; “Oh frabjous day! Callooh Callay!” founder Richard Wynne thought it sweet and fitting to name his second cocktail spot Little Bat.

The neighbourhood bar is calmer and more serene than its rowdy older brother, and if you arrive early, you can slide into one of the comfy blue leather booths and work your way through the cocktail list.

Steve McQueen

The décor: The press release promised a botanical garden and a magic wardrobe, but I couldn’t spot either on my visit. What there are in abundance is books, which gives the bar a cosy library feel in the chic rather than geeky sense.

The cocktails: The sips are split into different sections by spirit, which makes the menu easy to navigate. Cocktails run the gamut from sharp and refreshing to indulgently sweet.

The Bathtub Sour, for example, features apricot infused Bathtub gin, lemon juice, peach bitters and egg white; while the Smoking Jack blends Lairds Applejack, Hennessey, maple syrup and Boston bitters.

Signature sip: Two cocktails are competing for the crown here – the peach-hued Pan Am, blending Bacardi, Aperol, lemon juice, orgeat, egg white and Angostura spray; an idea apéritif.

The punchier Steve McQueen meanwhile, made with Bulleit rye, Luxardo, Martini Rosso, Bathtub cherry brandy and Peychauds bitters, is one to end the evening with in style.

The food: Our visit fortuitously coincided with the launch of the food offering. All of the decadent dishes delighted, particularly the lobster mac ‘n’ cheese balls with cauliflower fondue and bacon salt; and the Pollock goujons with smashed minted peas and tartar sauce.

The soft shell crab with chorizo jam and the sliders with smoked cheese and chipotle mayo are also unmissable, just make sure you leave room for the cocktails.

Who to know: Barney Toy, who sounds like a giant purple dinosaur but is in fact Little Bat’s head bartender and was the runner-up in the 2015 Bacardi Legacy Global cocktail competition. Look out for tattoos and a flat cap.

Don’t leave without: Getting snapped in the bar’s vintage photo booth.

Little Bat, 54 Islington Park Street, London N1 1PX