db drinks: Untitled

db’s Lucy Shaw heads to Tony Conigliaro’s daring new bar in Dalston inspired by Andy Warhol’s factory for a cocktail that tastes like how a violin sounds.

The concept: One of London’s most innovative mixologists, Tony Conigliaro, has drawn inspiration from Pop artist Andy Warhol and his Factory in New York for his third bar, which is so cool it doesn’t even need a name.

Having brought us deconstructed Bloody Marys in oyster shells at 69 Colebrooke Row in Islington and authentic Italian apéritivo drinks at Bar Termini in Soho, Conigliaro’s third venture in trendy Daltson is daringly different.

The décor: Having studied at art school, Conigliaro was keen to recreate the collaborative vibe of Warhol’s studio, and has made a communal table the focal point of Untitled, where he hopes creative chance encounters will take place.

The ‘Violin’ cocktail aims to faithfully emulate the instrument

The substantial space is set across three areas, with the stripped back grey concrete bar up front, a minimalist restaurant with Zen-like décor and lashings of blonde wood in the middle, and a terrace at the back for when the sun shines.

The main bar looks like a contemporary art gallery, with a giant Roman bust at one end and arty prints lining the walls.

The drinks: Untitled offers just 12 cocktails, each of which have one-word names that sound like artworks, from ‘waif’ and ‘green’ to ‘amber’. Named after what they taste like, their descriptions are short and enigmatic.

Conigliaro believes listing the spirits in a cocktail limits a customer’s decision-making process. Instead, he’s keen to open their minds and expand their drinking horizons by getting people to order based on their flavour preferences.

Signature cocktails: No trip to Unittiled would be complete without trying the ‘Violin’, which aims to recreate both the sound of the instrument and the process behind making it.

A blend of vodka, dark oak, pine, beeswax, benzoin and black pepper, everything from the colour to the glass shape has been considered so that it faithfully emulates its subject.

I’ve never tried a cocktail quite like it. Seriously strong, it had a waxy, varnish-like taste. The oak asserts itself aggressively, and the overall sensation is of a sophisticated cocktail to be savoured at the end of an evening.

Another must try for those seeking something unusual is ‘Snow’, which marries vodka, white clay, chalk and enoki mushrooms and aims to evoke the moment as a child when you catch a snowflake on your tongue.

A punchy twist on a vodka Martini, it had a pleasing umami savouriness and a chalky, mineral dimension.

For those keen for something more accessible and easy going, the Gonzo was a decadent marriage of Tequila, ambrette, dark caramel and buckwheat, while the Fluffy lived up to its name – a pretty sour made from gin, watermelon and saké, I’m sure there was yuzu in the mix too, which added lovely tangerine sweetness.

The team are also happy to shake up classic cocktails for those seeking simpler sips.

The food: The food offering is a serious draw ­– Untitled is as much a restaurant as it is a bar. The best option is to order the full menu for £52.50 and enjoy the procession of dishes.

Playing with sweetness and acidity, dishes are designed to compliment one another, so a rich dish of aubergine with miso and hazelnuts that tasted like Nutella would be offset by pickled peaches with dried seaweed and fermented radishes with shiso.

Standing out as sublime was a simple dish of tiny miso tomatoes with yuzu, and a curious union of cured duck with licquorice teriyaki, which really worked. The star of the show was a simple dish of tempura seaweed with mushroom powder and ponzu dipping sauce.

Cascading off the plate like a giant sea creature, the salty, savoury crunch of the seaweed was lifted by this citrus in the sauce. I could have happily munched away it all evening.

Who to know: You may get lucky and spot Tony C on your visit. If so, it’s worth bending his ear about his madcap creations, which he makes with gadgets that wouldn’t look out of place in a Michelin-starred kitchen, from vacuum packs and blowtorches to a centrifuge.

Don’t leave without: Ordering a plate of the seaweed tempura and ending the night on a ‘Violin’.

Last word: Untitled is a fascinating concept, which we hope takes off, but we couldn’t help but notice how empty the place was on a Thursday night.

Located on a busy high street in Dalston, the bar should have been buzzing, so it was sad to see it so naked. Most bars experience a lull during the summer, but we wonder if running with such an out there concept may be putting off punters who just want a simple drink.

In staying true to his vision, Conigliaro is appealing to those in the know, and given the size of the space, he may need to make the bar more commercially appealing in order for it to thrive. At the moment it feels like he’s trying to screen an art house movie in a multiplex.

Saying that, cocktail fanatics, bartenders and the drinks trade will love Untitled, and it takes visionaries like Conigliaro to get people thinking differently about drinks.

Untitled, 538 Kingsland Road, London E8 4AH; Tel: +44 (0)7841 022 924