Cocktails and Chinwags at Bart's Speakeasy

Despite an uber busy week, I managed to make the Cocktail and Chinwags tweet up at Bart’s Speakeasy organised by Miss Immy, which was a brilliant concoction of London’s top notch bloggers, foodies, wine connoisseurs, restaurant/bar reviewers etc.
Sadly, I arrived a little late as I had to come straight from wine school so had missed some of the crowd. But when I finally arrived I was pleased to see Lee Behan of Friday Food Club again, one of the nicest supper club owners out there (don’t think I’ve ever seen the man not smile) -and finally put a face to the name of Neil Davey, aka DineHard. Neil convinced me that I am suitably equipped to enjoy his Pub Quiz – the race is actually for second to last place (a spot I seem to win with relative ease, despite my huge enthusiasm).
The most intriguing part of the evening, had to be actually finding the venue. Not having the best sense of direction I walked up an down Sloane Avenue several times before looking up the email  Miss Immy sent and finding the clues about ‘Russian Broads’ and ‘Chelsea Cloisters’.

After walking through what looked like a building site, I found the infamously discreet black door with a burly bouncer standing guard. He asked who I was here to see, and for a moment I was confused, first giving Miss Immy’s twitter ID before realising the secret password, ‘Miss Immy sent me’.
I was then shown through and was confronted with another door, this time cartoon clad, complete with a peep hole which was slid open and again I was questioned about who I was here to see. The password worked and I was home free.
Once inside, Bart’s Speakeasy does not disappoint, throughout the evening you’ll slowly notice more and more of the quirkly elements of the eclectic decor, it was 10:30 before I realised there was a Homer Simpson clock next to the traditional cuckcoo clocks for example.
The Rhubard martini I was handed on arrival, was dangerously moreish and reminiscent of the rhubard and custard sweets.

I briefly got to meet London’s top Scotch egg connoisseur, David ‘Scotch Egg’ Constable and the delightful William Leigh – who after a few more cocktails Henry O’Grady and I decided looked remarkably like Freddie Ljungberg (sorry William, this is most definitely intended as a compliment).
Miss Immy is the perfect party organiser and host and did a great job of introducing everyone. Although, not sure ‘wino’ is the best description of me, oh wait a minute – it possibly is.

Clearly a happy customer she gave me the full sales pitch on True Deli, a new London based catering company, so elequently Henry from True Deli was almost redundent.
True Deli can deliver dishes prepped from the highest quality deli ingrediants to your home, where you can simply add the finishing touches before serving – the perfect dinner party cheat, me thinks.  They also have an events arm catering for private dinners, weddings, corporate events and they supply the bar snacks at Bart’s Speakeasy.
All dishes are fine deli products, homemade where possible, or sourced from specialist regional suppliers, I’m told the bar snacks at Bart’s is the simpler end of the spectrum of what the can do. Simple or not, the honey and mustard cocktail sausages, scotch eggs and sausage rolls certainly hit the spot.

The sausages were fantastic and the glaze really tasty, I’ll definitely pop back for a proper night out with the hubby, not sure he’ll be able to resist the scotch eggs, his fascination with Scotch Eggs can almost rival David’s…