Coupette, Bethnal Green: bar review

What’s the vibe?

This is a super cool drinking den, where banter over the bar (made from French centimes) is encouraged. There's a soundtrack of hip hop, that has taken over jazz as the cocktail bar genre of choice over the last few years, and punters let loose as the evening unfolds, moving from high tables to mingle in with other cocktail lovers and choose spirits from the brick wall behind the bar.

What’s the drinks menu like?

There’s an extensive cocktail menu, with intricately illustrated ingredients (spirit bottles, fruits, spices et al) made into small pieces of contemporary art for each drink. There are some super-bold twists on the new menu – 18-year-old rum is washed in chocolate for the Chocolate & Red Wine, Cereal Wars is a malty take on an old fashioned thanks to toasted rye, barley and wheat; and purple and orange carrots add an earthy note to The Bitter Quarter.

Which cocktail to order at Coupette?

Champagne piña colada is the showstopper; a mix of Bacardi Heritage, French- Caribbean agricole rum, pineapple and coconut sorbet, topped up with Moët & Chandon brut. We also loved the buttery and smooth Corny Gimlet with a sour, smoky edge, garnished with a kitsch mini buttered corn. Code Rouge is a great way to end the evening, made using a combination of sherry cask whisky and homemade red ale vermouth. At the bottom you’ll find a bonbon of red wine ganache encased in a white chocolate sphere to melt into your mouth before you leave.