Review: Tayer + Elementary, Shoreditch

We only popped into Tayer + Elementary for a late bite of lunch just after this cocktail bar and eatery opened doors for the day at just after 3pm, but I’m already sure that this is is just a temporary review pending a return visit! Before 5pm they only serve little bar snacks, but even these were absolutely top-notch and had me wanting more. It might also have been the three splendid cocktails talking, although the snacks did come around the first drink!

We were perched at the front bar, Elementary, where the cocktails are more straightforward and so is the food menu. All ours were straight pours, pre-made, but that didn’t make them any less dangerously drinkable. A vetiver negroni was round and dark with the heavy leathery flavour of the vetiver, while my damask rose negroni made a total contrast with a profound but not cloying perfume of dusty roses on an altogether lighter mix. Best cocktail was Maureen’s bergamot margarita, the perfumed citrus of the bergamot lifting the lovely smokey flavour of the mezcal they include with the tequila. I was also extremely happy with my cedarwood old fashioned, which needs no description as I’m sure you can imagine it.

Service was top throughout, some of the team really passionate about their work and happy to chat with a keen cocktail-makin’ amateur (me).

Bar snacks included skewers of grilled baby corn hidden under a pile of very umami aged pecorino and slathered with punchy arbol chilli cream. Also skewers of a nice combo of quail egg plus a similar sized chunk of firm nutty potato, all covered in a very creamy sweet sesame mayo. Truffled crisps with a spicy nduja and anchovy dip, also extremely moreish. Best was a sizeable plate of earthy hummus, made fruitier with butternut squash, topped with a tobacco-y chilli oil and a good dollop of very cardamom yogurt, and served with a couple of styles of mini poppadom to dip in it.

You can see why I want to come back for dinner! Very much up my street. Cocktails were mostly around the £15 mark, the bar snacks £8-10. So very good all round.