A few weeks ago I blogged about my dining experience at Harbercue and its deliciousness, before realising that I had missed one vital part of my evening: the cocktails – and the cocktails at The Ten Bells on St Benedicts Street in Norwich are well worth writing about.
With incredibly well-stocked shelves and very talented bar team, the choice of drinks on offer is huge, in spite of recently paring back the number of cocktails on the menu.
It’s just as well, then, that cocktails are on a two-for-£10 offer until 8pm every day – and happily they can be mixed and matched so you can try as many options as your constitution can take.
Favourite tipples
I initially got hooked on the vodka martinis, which I enjoy anyway, but the smooth, cold, clear taste of a well-mixed vodka martini with a twist of lemon at The Ten Bells is divine. And although it was tempting to stick to my favourite, I was brave and tried something new recently. I had discovered Aperol spritz on a recent trip to Italy, so asked the barman to mix that. The result was bitter, bright and refreshing – I absolutely loved it.
And because the cocktails I know had been so good, I dabbled in something different on my recent visit. Pictured above is my deviation into the land of the unknown: a chilli caipirinha. Combining chilli-infused cachaca, mango juice, lime juice and brown sugar, all it needed was a cocktail umbrella to make it into a proper holiday drink. The sweetness of the juice gave way to the tang of lime and the faintest hint of warmth from the chilli. It was almost imperceptible, but added interesting depth of flavour. It couldn’t be further removed from the watery, almost tasteless cocktails that you get from many chain bars. I will certainly be returning soon.
Interested? You can read the cocktail menu on The Ten Bells’ website.
