NOTE: The Mint Gun Club has sadly now closed.
The Mint Gun Club is a little like a large African elephant.
In that it’s not really either of those things.
It is, however, a stylish new tea-house, cocktail bar and deli in Stoke Newington (named after – if you’re wondering – the Las Vegas gun club and desert race made famous by Fear and Loathing). It’s the first solo venture from Richard Hunt, who could previously be spotted manning the shakers behind the bars at Milk & Honey and Hawksmoor. Drawing on his travels and experiences from around the globe, it’s a melting-pot of an establishment, serving up cocktails, rare teas, and deli-style foods inspired by various different regions.
An intimate, one-room affair, the place itself sports bright teal-stuccoed walls alongside vintage shutters, reclaimed furniture and palm fronds that will gently waft above you as you enjoy…
THE FOOD
Inspired by the exotic and far-flung, the offerings here range from house-made ferments and pickles to swanky antipasti. The menu’s designed to be picked at, as if you were raiding your own expansive and extremely fancy larder, so you’ll be able to mix and match spreads like almond hummus and rose harissa with your chargrilled aubergine flatbread, or pickled veg side salads to accompany your kimchi and ricotta brioche. There’s also a High Tea with an oriental slant, including Japanese mochi, Turkish delight and cucumber kimchi sandwiches.
THE DRINK
Accompanying this is a wide-ranging bevy of teas, from the house blend to herbal tisanes. On top of this you’ll find house juices, lassis and kombucha, and, come evening, a cocktail list where Hunt’s heritage really comes in to play. There’s gimlets, tonics and sodas, and aperitifs, boosted with ingredients like cypress water and coconut wine. The best selection, however, is in the nightcaps section, where you’ll find numbers like the White Tiger’s Milk, made up with cider apéritif, almond kefir and peach ‘milk’.
Which isn’t really what it sounds like, either.
NOTE: The Mint Gun Club has sadly now closed.
The Mint Gun Club | 4a Brooke Road, N16 7LS
Making an evening of it? Stop off for one at Original Sin on your way.