THE HOXTON PONY

The Hoxton Pony takes all that’s great about Britain, shakes it like a horny pony would, and serves it up with some Shoreditch kook. Take the great British tradition that is afternoon tea: at the Pony, ‘Tea Party’ cocktails are served in dainty teacups from ‘self-cooling infusion jars’, with a side order of sandwiches and cakes. It’s a bit like being at the Ritz, but more fun.

The black and white colour scheme is augmented by neon-stick lighting, lipstick-red tables and some fierce contemporary art, including a crumpled up car. In a nod to the Natural History museum, Victorian-style stuffed-bird dioramas back the bar, lending a touch of cosiness
to the minimal modernism.

Delicious Best-of-British stodge is on the menu, but dishes are nifty takes on old standards, served in delicately sized portions, so you won’t have to lie down after tucking in. Fitting the trendy setting, DJs mix electronica, movie tunes, ’60s pop, ska, and baselines so chunky you could use them as insulation.

It’s all the brainchild of Gerry Calabrese – renowned bartender and bar owner, and son of famous mixologist Salvatore Calabrese. So, as you might expect, it’s the boozy blends that really make Hoxton Pony stand out. Ingredients are seasonal, the purees, syrups and compotes are all freshly made on site, and the creations are exceptional. Our top tips? The East End Promise, combining vanilla, fresh plum, lemon and tequila, and Grandad’s Bookmark, a cherry bakewell tart of a drink.

Covering all bases, the Pony delivers a lot more than your usual ShoHo boozer: good pub grub, cocktails to remember, and a chance to throw shapes on the mauve-lit dancefloor downstairs. At weekends it’s rammed with a dressed-up bunch. During the week, the crowd tends to be cooler and the jeans skinnier.