Dalston Drinks
The cocktail team the Manhattans Project are setting up shop at POND Dalston for the next three months
Review by Rupert Watkins
The Hawaiian themed POND bar and restaurant in Dalston is the latest venue to be taken over by the quirky but rather damn good bartenders at the Manhattans Project. The team focus on classic cocktails with a slight twist – a Bloody Mary with fermented chilli and wasabi perhaps..? Though some purists may be aghast at such outré experimentation the drinks are excellent.
My Lapsang Martinez – Fords gin, lapsang tea and Talisker with antica formula was rather decent and slipped down worrying quickly. The team also offer flights of four cocktails on a theme – the Negroni and the obvious Manhattan; these are also a delicious way to work out exactly how you like yours done. The four Negronis I tried were (bar one made with Malibu as I ain’t a coconut fan) satisfyingly sharp and refreshing – the Pisco Negroni getting my vote as the best sampler.
Away from the drinks, POND is a large space. The banquets are comfortable, the interior the requisite modern stripped back and exposed piping one expects of many a North London haunt. The bar itself is stylish, wide with wooden slats and damn well stocked – a definite Polynesian vibe here. Due to its size, it felt a little empty and lacking in atmosphere the night I was there but at the end of the week and weekends its size should be an advantage as the thirsty masses are able to throng in and give the room more vibrancy. The bar food is good – a mix of Japanese sushi and American influenced dishes – heavy on fish.
The Manhattans Project team are at POND for the next three months. Should you be in the market for a fresh take on the classic drinks, a sortie to Dalston should be inserted in the diary. 
Enquiries: POND, Stamford Work, 3 Gillet Street, Dalston / 0203 7726727 / http://pond-dalston.com/