The Hungry Blonde Bristolian: Whitelock and Grace

NB. Whitelock and Grace is now The Colour Inn, as of October 2011

Another Bank Holiday weekend in Bristol meant another great excuse to indulge in a spot of Sunday-afternoon drinking. This particular weekend also brought about a visit from my London-based pal, H and so, it was considered appropriate to visit a venue a little off-the-beaten-track in order to avoid the masses and to catch-up in style. Consequently, Whitelock and Grace was the perfect choice....

Date and Time: Sunday 29^th May 2011, 16:30

Name of Establishment: Whitelock and Grace*

Location: Clifton Down (Top of the steps to the train station)

Reason for Visit: Cheeky afternoon drinkies with a visiting friend

Tucked away behind Platform 1 nightclub and a stones-throw away from Clifton Down Shopping Centre and train station, Whitelock and Grace does not jump out at the passer-by. In fact, it could be quite easily overlooked and trust me, to miss this venue would certainly be missing out!

Related to Hermanos Café and Bar on Bristol's Clifton Triangle and with a similar laid-back flair, the eclectic vibe of Whitelock and Grace with it's raw brick-work, stylish leather furniture and wall-art inspired by Bristol's city-scene, effortlessly exudes cool. Although H, the Boy and I were the only visiting clientèle at this time, there was no need for an additional buzz as the soundtrack filling the space was full of South-American beats and jazzy notes, thus providing a moody backdrop to our conversation!

Chilled water is served as standard and with it, the menu, which is presented on a clip-board. After ample scrutiny, the three of us decided to put our trust in the knowledgeable server who certainly knew his stuff when it came to the extensive range of beers, wines and spirits that this venue boasts. The main attraction however are the cocktails which, priced reasonably from £6, are listed in categories – even depicting the type of glass in which your drink will be served, (perhaps to determine it's potency!) And so, we were guided to an appropriate tipple, based on our somewhat vague preferences; The Boy (the designated driver) was given a non-alcoholic cocktail of fruit juices in a tall glass, providing the refreshing, exotic flavours that he had sought after. H, steered by her base-spirit preference, was served a Daiquiri made with a generous measure of a three-year-old rum which, muddled with freshly squeezed lime and sugar syrup, was reportedly a good-quality creation with rich, lingering notes.

I opted for the French 75 which combined my two great alcohol loves – (Larios) gin and champagne! I have never before had the two in the same glass before but can report that the result is a concoction with a real bite – mixed with lemon juice and sugar syrup, this was a lightly fizzed, crisp and bitter-sweet cocktail which made for a similar experience to eating Haribo Tangfastics, (which I have a bit of a thing for...luckily!)

I liked that all drinks were served in glasses which appeared to have been kept in the freezer resulting in an extra level of ice-cold refreshment. However, we agreed that a range of available bar snacks would have provided a welcome accompaniment to our drinks – in the end we settled for a bag of kettle chips but as it was either this or pork scratchings, we didn't have much of a choice! That aside, H, The Boy and I really enjoyed our visit to Whitelock and Grace; it's notably different to its neighbouring venues in that it's subtlety (reflected in the venue's minimalistic website and the fact that you have to use to the back entrance and ring the doorbell to be granted access after 10pm) hints at an air of exclusivity and perhaps intends to draw in the more discerning drinker. Furthermore, the changeable menu (as well as the Monthly themed tasting menus whereby cocktails are just £5 each) in addition to the availability of cocktail-making classes keeps this venue's visitor on their toes...and in order to keep up with these irregularities, I can definitely see myself becoming a regular!