Red Market In Full Swing In Shoreditch

We just had to return! This summer sees Red Market re-open for business with a variety of food stalls from Malaysian delicacies to authentic Turkish kebabs and a French crepiere (is that the right word for them?).

Red Market again features all the food stalls you’d expect from a food market with the added delight of a beach corner (complete with sand, deck chairs and hammocks), a licensed bar, and even DJ’s in the evening to get the party started. We love the mix and its a great way to spend your lunch hour or unwind after work.

Check out our gallery of quick snaps we took before the food tempted us away from the blogging:

Art at Playboy Club London announces: ‘The Italian Job’

Back in March of this year the Iconic Playboy Club London, on 14 Old Park Lane, Mayfair launched the ‘Art at Playboy’ initiative to critical acclaim. The club has since been playing host to a number of top artists & photographers spanning the decades in association with Chester’s famous Watergate Street Gallery. Over 10 internationally artists (including Philip Townsend & Ed Chapman to date) will be exhibiting and selling their finest work across the year in this intimate gallery space immersed within the hub of the club’s Players Lounge.

The Italian Job in association with the Watergate Street Gallery, launches at the Playboy Club, Mayfair, London

June 21st was a big day in Cut the Cap dairy as we were lucky enough to see not 1 but 3 extraordinary artists taking over the walls of 14 Old Park with an exhibition titled: ‘The Italian Job’. This follows Ed Chapman’s phenomenally successful ‘Then & Now’ mosaic exhibition.

The Cut The Cap chiefs

As artists are all Italian and the club paid homage with an Italian themed menu for the duration of the exhibition, as well as Amalfi Coast inspired canapés for our private view on Thursday. Art at Playboy’ is presented alongside Rémy Martin VSOP Mature Cask Finish cognac and opulent cocktails created by Italian Maestro Salvatore Calabrese will be served at this prestigious event, demonstrating the versatility of this iconic cognac.

Playboy bunnies, Julia and Farrah showcasing the fine drinks menu

Within this environment, Vanni Saltarelli, Angelo Bellini and Ray Sorveno will be showcasing their stunning and very different art styles – all of which is for sale – for 6 weeks from June 22nd!

Art lovers – both members and non members alike – now have an exclusive chance to see (and purchase) the art over a 6 week period for each exhibition before a new artist steps into the gallery.
Viewings for ‘The Italian Job’ commence on June 22nd for 6 weeks between 12-9p, 7 days a week. For more information email art@playboyclublondon.com

Nightgames – Secret Selfridges Olympic Pop-Up Bar

Our good friends over at DesignMyNight know a thing or two when it comes to great new bars in town so we tend to listen when they speak. And speak they have – ‘Nightgames’ – London’s newest pop-up bar is coming and has really caught our eye… Question is, how do we get membership to the hottest place in town?!

OK OK enough of the prelude what is this new bar they speak of?

Well DesignMyNight have described it as a brand new, exclusive and highly secret pop-up bar, that will be opening on the 26th of July to members only – membership to this highly sought-after bar is strictly by invitation only. A glamorous assortment of golds, leathers and disco balls, Nightgames features a collection of beautiful private parlours available for members to hire, where guests are treated to access to the secret backstage, priority access to the outside terrace, an allocation of magnum bottles of champagne, spirits, lager, food, and unlimited mixers & soft drinks.

Nightgames’ main club room is a treat for the senses; decadent, luxurious and sumptuous.

Also featuring a Terrace – adorned with filligree garden furniture, illuminated mirrors, golden flamingos, and large palm trees. The entertainment at Nighthgames could be described as an immersive disco experience, ranging from a live big band to curated DJ sets. This top secret club of decadence and luxury is only open for 12 nights and is set to be the invite of the Summer.

Nightgames’ terrace is a beautiful rooftop experience in the heart of the West End.

Unfortunately we haven’t found out if you can smoke cigars there yet – do let us know if find out by leaving a comment below…

Relentless Energy Drink have only gone a launched a new flavour… (and they’re giving it away for free!)

So just when you thought you knew it all along came Relentless Energy Drink to literally mix-up the energy drinks market with the launch of their new Apple & Kiwi variant! Ready for the summer months, (if the sun decides to come/stay) Apple & Kiwi is the sixth flavour in the Relentless Energy Drink range, and comes packed with the same energy as you’ve come to expect that helps you give your all – providing you with the stimulation, focus and stamina that you need to succeed.

And lucky enough for Cut The Cap the good people at Relentless Energy Drink threw an awesome party at PUNK in Soho, London to put it to the test – queue one great night with DJ Nikki Beatnik providing the soundtrack, a selection of great Relentless Energy Drink based cocktails and my smooth dance moves…

It would have been dangerous to hug DJ Nikki on the night – spikes were the order of the day…

‘Enjoying the moment’

They even made a video to show how awesome it is:

AND there’s currently (as of June 6th) a competition to win 1 of 30 creates if you click here - good luck readers!

Playboy Club’s 1st Birthday with Will.i.am and Pro Green

Last night was a busy one for Cut The Cap… not only were we bringing you the World premiere of Ridley Scott’s Prometheus but we were also at Playboy Club’s 1st Anniversary Party in London’s playground for the rich and famous, Mayfair.

Cut The Cap living it up at Playboy

Joining us for the night was Page 3 stunner Lucy Vixen and what an event the lucky party goers were treated to. A special performance from the man of the moment and friend of Cut The Cap, Professor Green; strip teases; more Playboy bunnies than you could shake [your] stick at oh and a VVIP by the name of Will.i.am!

The club was was pack and fun of energy – truly one of the highlights of the social calendar to date. But don’t take are word for it have a look at these pictures… enjoy, we did!

Chilling with Will.i.am

Cut The Cap is treated to champagne Playboy Style

Playboy Bunnies – Awesome

Gold Vending Machine

Don’t you just hate it when you really want to buy that new DVD but you’ve run out of money?

Fear not for if you live in Dubai, you can now get Gold on the go.

This vending machine was spotted at the top of the Burj Khalifa right next to the gift shop. At first glance you would think it was just an ATM made out of gold, but its not, its a gold ATM.

Not sure why I found this so funny but thought I would share.

Surely if you have a credit card and want gold, you wouldn’t pay £15 to get to the top of the Burj to buy it?

Cigar Smoking Secret Spot in London

It’s been a while since we posted anything so firstly a massive apologies on behalf of the Cut the Cap team.

We’ve had a lot going on, however we haven’t stopped doing what we do best:

Going to events, catching live music, going to see new films and above all smoking some fantastic cigars.

Last weekend, London saw freakishly warm weather for March and I was fortunate to be introduced to a secret cigar smoking spot in east London that would normally go unnoticed.

A stones throw from Royal Albert DLR station, you will find a perfect view of London City Airport, across a lake (I think it is anyway), which gives a perfect view for any cigar smoker.

As we parked ourselves we were treated to seeing planes land and take off every 5-10 minutes, giving you an idea of how big these planes are that are taking off in front of you.

It’s a peaceful area with grass seating, benches and a walkway for the active person in you.

We chose to sit at the bench with what can only be described as a ‘Mannic’ (Mans picnic). Few snacks and a beverage to keep hydrated throughout the smoke.

The cigar choice: Montecristo Number 2

Length: 156
Format: Piramide
Ring guage: 52

The Cigar is considered one of my all time favourites. A consistent smoke throughout, great flavours and not to overpowering. This is a cigar I recommend time and time again to novices and for keen smokers alike.

As for the view, check out the pics below, and I hope to see you there in the future.

BarChick’s Valentine’s Day Help for Boys

It’s back, and once again you’ve left it to the last minute to work out what you’re going to do for cupids favourite day of the year. But fear not Cut the Cap has teamed up with BarChick.com to save your day.

You be pleased to know that we haven’t just team up with anyone for this most important guides, BarChick.com is the window to the very best bars from London to New York, and increasingly everywhere in between. With unrivalled and totally independent insight, BarChick is buzzing with up-to-the-minute news on bar openings, drinks trends and what’s hot now in bar culture. And thank the man upstairs its more than just a listings site, it offers a diverse range of ‘BarChick approved’ bars, recommending venues to meet drinking needs of revellers and relaxed drinkers alike.

So where were we… Ah yes, Valentine’s day. Whether you’re loved up or playing the field, you’ve got to do something on February 14th (‘em be the rules), and we’re not talking candlelit dinners or rose petals…. here’s how not to want to die inside on this cheesy day – we present the BarClick (app available here) guide to Valentine’s day…

If you want to impress a hot date without coming across as clichéd and predictable you’ve got to let BarChick, the ultimate guide to London’s best bars (if not the world’s), give you a little heads up on where to go….

Garlic and Shots – London
Prove it’s really love and dose yourselves in copious amounts of garlic. Sure, people class this as much of a faux pas as rules such as “don’t eat spaghetti on a first date” but who cares, you may as well start as you mean to go on. Not for the faint hearted (… or vampires) this place is serious about its ingredient of choice, even the beer has raw garlic floating in it, nice. If your date can’t hack it then you don’t want them anyway, so get out while you’re ahead.
Dans Le Noir – London
So you / your date are not looking great, a bit pale, or perhaps you woke up with a massive spot. Not a problem, this is what Dans le Noir is all about: taste, senses, smells, touch, everything but your eyes (kinda kinky too). Dans le Noir (‘in the dark’ for those with a D in French!) immerses its customers into pitch black and you are served by blind waiters, so no fear of them clocking/stealing your hot date although they might have a little feel.
The Beefeater 24 Science of Love Molecular Masterclass – London
Top dog Tony C (the Heston of the cocktail work for those not in the know) is offering you a chance to create a love potion in his much talked about laboratory. Take an insider’s tour into the molecular mixology world and learn some tricks to making unique molecular creations from the master. Make Valentine’s recipes and twists on old classics with Beefeater 24 and afterwards sample Tony’s work in the intimate award winning 69 Colebrooke Row. This is the perfect place to go either as a couple or solo with a mate. If you want to avoid the predictable and try something different, then this is the one for you.
River Restaurant at The Savoy – London
OK so if you really crave a bit of a cliché date then at least do it in style. No one is going to do Valentine’s Day better than The Savoy really, and you’ll definitely get her in the sack. Pull out the stops then head down to the River Restaurant for their meal for 2. Eat seafood, lamb and veal, all washed down with Champagne and finished off with melting chocolate sensations and pink Champagne mousse. This isn’t the cheapest option, at £125, but you do get 4 courses and a glass of Champagne thrown in and the high quality of food won’t disappoint!

 

However, If you’re single, or boycotting the other sex for whatever reason then don’t feel as though you’ve got to lock the door, draw the blinds and leave the couples to it. If anything you’re probably going to have a better night. BarChick has your back: here are some alternative nights that are anti-couples for your pleasure:

Bar Kick – A Game of Two Halves – London
Speed dating with a twist: forget repeating what you do, what your interests are or how much cash you’ve got. Instead head to Bar Kick, get a free cocktail and “find your goal mate”. Get involved in their game of two halves, get given a load of ludicrously preposterous yet informative and insightful topics, play some table football, fill out the score sheet, leave the rest to them. Table football and strange questions mean whether you are on the pitch or on the bench you’ll be chatting about ridiculous things so you won’t have any awkward silences. Nice breath of fresh air from “what music are you in to?”

The Shop NW10 – London
Embrace your hate for Valentine’s Day, make a voodoo doll of ex and hit the Anti-Valentine’s Day Massacre at The Shop. They’ll have heartbreak themed cocktails; think “it’s not you it’s me”, “the restraining order” or “the sour grape”, and punk and rock-abilly music to rock and cry to. They’ll even be giving a prize to the person with the best break up story. Classic.

MeatLiquor – London
Forget the candles, the violins and the petals. What you’re after is a slab of meat, lots of cheese and a shed load of cocktails. Grab your mates, drink your sorrows away and stuff your face.

Apotheka – Manchester
Following the success of last year’s party, Apotheka are going to have an Anti-Valentine’s day event for 2012! Take a sigh of relief if you aren’t under the thumb. Think mutilated teddies lining up the bar, banging Rock ‘n Roll music and most importantly NO romance.

 

What ever you end up doing, enjoy…

 

Ron Zacapa – Roux at the Pembury

Last week we were kindly invited to a very special event by the lovely people at Ron Zacapa. What made the invite even more interesting was that the event was to take place at Roux at the Pembury.
Roux is a restaurant/bar, located in Westminster and run by none other than Michel Roux Jr.

From this information alone, we knew we were in for a good night of food and drink. The evening consisted of 5 courses of canapés that had been created with Ron Zacapa in mind. For every canapé we had, naturally there was a different Ron Zacapa Cocktail to accompany the food.

We arrived on time and were kindly shown upstairs to the Roux bar. The bar is new to the Pembury and is decorated with chesterfield couches and gives the sense of a private members bar, but without the extraordinary member’s fee. We were told that the bar is open Monday to Friday and is perfect for pre-drinks, post drinks, or just drinks in general.

If you are familiar with Michel Roux Jr, you’d know that he isn’t one to hire a local bar man from Wetherspoons to be in charge of making cocktails. (Not that there is anything wrong with Wetherspoons)

The bar manager for Roux is Abdulai Kpekawa. With over 7 years of bar work under his belt, we knew we were going to be looked after.

The evening began with an introduction from Michel himself welcoming us to his establishment as well as explaining the order of the evening and how the tastings will work.

He explained a bit about the restaurant and the bar as well as giving us some insight into how he decorated the bar and the look he was going for.

Michel even took the time to share his sadness with us that it is such a big shame we are unable to light up a cigar while enjoying a drink (a pain we know all too well)

We also had the pleasure of Daniel Dove, Ron Zacapa’s UK Brand Ambassador who talked to us about the rum and what we could expect from the drinks that evening.

There were 5 courses in total with a drink selected for each course to perfectly complement the canapé.

To kick the evening off, we were given a Zacapa Cerveza as a welcome drink which was amazing. It was a cocktail made of Ron Zacapa, lime, beer and honey syrup with a malt and nutmeg foam. As you can imagine it almost like a dessert but still had the flavours of a great cocktail.

Onto the first course and some ‘Virgin honey’ and beetroot cured Loch Duart salmon. At this point the party in my mouth had already started. The sweet virgin honey really made the dish stand out and created a great sweet after taste.

Paired with a Mayan Martini consisting of Ron Zacapa, Gewürztraminer wine and orange bitters we were off to a good start.

For the Second course we were treated to XO braised shin of beef and root vegetables roasted with ‘virgin honey’ paired up with a Quetzaltenango Fizz. By now the flavours coming through were incredible and the beef was perfectly cooked, and once again the Virgin honey created such a great after taste.

By now we were starting to get full up and then out came the third course, a rum and raisin tiramisu. Not being a big fan of raisins I was reluctant at first to try it, however the dessert was incredible. The raisins were so fresh, it was like I was eating grapes, and I didn’t want the tiramisu to end.

Paired up with an Altocumulus Daiquiri (Ron Zacapa, yuzu juice, Pedro Ximénez and honey) the party was in full effect in my mouth and the flavours I had experiences were like none I had experienced before.

Just when I thought I couldn’t fit in anymore food, out came the Coffee, vanilla and Solera 23 macaroon along with a glass of Land of the Trees (Ron Zacapa, Grand Marnier®, Noilly Pratt and kaffir lime leafs)

Followed but Cheese and pickle served with what was my favourite drink of the night a glass of Ron Zacapa XO served neat!

Topped off with polite conversation and plush surroundings, the night was a perfect evening and a great opportunity to sample the different sides of Ron Zacapa and how this rum is here to stay.
Just from what I sampled, I’m 100% sure I’ll be checking out the restaurant very soon.

Overall, the evening was fantastic and was a great chance for Ron Zacapa so show us the quality of the rum and how the rum can be perfectly matched.

Cut the Cap walked away setting 3 missions that night:

1 – To get a bottle of Ron Zacapa to review with a cigar.

2 – To return to Roux for dinner.

3 – To learn how to cook using rum.

We are pretty sure we can master the first 2 but watch this space.

May Fair Hotel Puts The Heat Back Into Cigar Smoking

I started this site over a year ago with the intention of removing the stereotypes associated with cigar smoking and that its not all about a stuffy room decorated with rich mahogany and filled with middle aged men like a secret society.

Today it seems The May Fair Hotel joins me in a quest to break those barriers and encourage people to start smoking cigars as a great sociable activity.
This spring the hotel opens the “The Cigar Room at The May Fair”.

Designed to be the best COSA (cosy, outdoor smoking area) in London, the newly created Cigar Experience will offer the finest Cuban cigars from Hunters & Frankau, plus exclusive products on the smoking menu unique to the May Fair.
What makes this smoking area different from the hundreds other in London you ask? Well let me tell you!

They are turning the concept of cigars on its head and burning the rule book to create a more feminine experience’ through the use of cutting edge and stimulating design.

Plans are in place for “hanging gardens” and striking chain mail clad walls. Live fireplaces will also add to the theatre of the space in colder months keeping you warm enough to enjoy a fine Cuban outside.

Individual humidors will be provided, so that smokers can leave their Cigars in perfect condition for future enjoyment. I’m sure there will be a cost associated with this, but if you like the ambience which I’m sure you will form what we are hearing, then why not.

To give the COSA an extra layer of perfection, the newly appointed Cigar Concierge will invite smokers to trial new brands and latest releases with experts who will talk through the specific qualities and tastes of each, making cigar smoking available for experts and beginners.

So you have the cigars, you have the location, now you need the drink pairing.

We are told The May Fair will have the finest Cognacs, Armagnacs and high end single malts joined by a Martini trolley and vintage champagnes from the hotel’s bar “150 at the May Fair”.

Just from looking at their menu I can see that a Red Rum cocktail would make a good choice for a cigar. Using Havana Club Anejo 7 year old rum, mixed with watermelon and honeydew melon I can imagine this being a good choice to pair up with a nice cigar.

The hotel will also offer a tasting package and expert advice from Masters of each spirit to add to the sipping pleasure of guests.
Anthony Lee, General Manager (and the guy you need to know) explained:

“Staying at the May Fair is all about a blend of experiences unique to our hotel,”
He also went on to say “With the Cigar Room we are creating somewhere our guests can feel relaxed and at ease while indulging in their passion for fine cigars.

“When we launched, the May Fair transformed and made five star luxury inclusive. Now we will do something similar for cigar smoking; banishing the gentleman’s club atmosphere and catering for women, the stylish and successful and, of course, the more traditional cigar connoisseur.”

Sounds like a man with a plan. With so many cigar bars offering the same atmosphere around Central London, it seems the May Fair could be the new spot to find me after work for a cocktail and a cigar.

What also makes the idea of the terrace even better is that they are targeting females more than males, which means you can take your partner for some cocktails while you puff away. (everyone’s a winner)

Cut the Cap will be planning a visit once the COSA opens in spring 2012, but in the meantime, keep clicking over to http://www.themayfairhotel.co.uk for more information.
Check them out on Twitter here @themayfairhotel

The hotel has had some great guest stay there in the past from 50 cent to Roger Sanchez to Paris Hilton. Check out their YouTube channel here. http://youtube.com/themayfairhotel

And remember to subscribe to Cut The Cap so you can be the first to know when we review the cigar room.