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Milk Thistle is a speakeasy with a twist.
It is a speakeasy in the sense that it serves traditional prohibition-era cocktails in a discreet locale. The twist comes in the presentation.
We genuinely struggled to locate this venue. Granted, we could have gone straight to Trip Advisor for the address, but we preferred - in the first instance at least - to put on our detective hats and try locate it using the information proffered on their website, which is sparse.
We enjoyed the adventure of it, but yielded in the end when it became clear that we may end up being too late and miss our reservation.
photo from Milk Thistle Website
From the outside, The Milk Thistle is quite unremarkable, distinguishable only by a small thistle etched into the glass above the door. There is no door handle, so you have to ring the bell to be granted entry.
Inside, the speakeasy authenticity ends somewhat. The lounge area is small and decorated like a gentleman's club, and yet there are artefacts that are so incongruous that the speakeasy illusion is reduced to a gimmick. In essence, expect to see "hipster aesthetic": paintings of dapper animals in top hat and tails alongside taxidermy and teacups.
Decor aside, the interior does retain an air of the clandestine. We were a little peeved on our first visit, as we were perched at the bar despite having made a reservation and the lounge space being mostly empty. A subsequent visit was much cosier though, and even sitting at the bar has its perks: observing the bar staff is a treat! They really know how to mix!
photo from Milk Thistle Website
I even challenged them with my cocktail litmus test: the Manhattan - a cocktail that, even for one who enjoys the harder stuff, can be very difficult to enjoy if not made right. The Milk Thistle's Manhattan was the most drinkable I've sampled to date, and their Blood and Stone is exquisite.
The Milk Thistle has enough quality and novelty to merit a visit (and even a repeat-visit), but I'm afraid it's still doesn't hold a candle to my favourite cocktail bar in Bristol - The Doghouse.
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