Peg & Patriot – Town Hall Hotel

6 Reviews on “Peg & Patriot – Town Hall Hotel”

• Vi Vian Woo

  So, I have heard lots of amazing stuff about the Mr Talented Fox. I agree, the cocktails were very clever in the way that they had combinations of ingredients that perked one’s ear and raise the other eyebrow. It was interesting, but as much as it could be the best cocktail, my experience was somewhat poor – no, bad. We picked this place with the intention to celebrate a new start for a foodie friend who was to leave London for a new life in Hong Kong. She is a big time foodie, a cocktail lover and a glamorous chick, what could be more obvious than a night out at Peg + Patriot, or so, we thought.The service was awful, with them forgetting our drinks, looking at us rather sheepishly everytime we ordered extra drinks and constantly reminding us to leave at 10pm sharp even though it was not busy; our bill probably came up to more than the others for that night. Cocktails started at 9.00 and I secretly thought they were rather small helpings. I would love to think that we were just unlucky that night but it is now hard for me to recommend it. vi-vian.com

  April 19, 2016, 3:33 am

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• Little Brown Book

  Well Bethnal Green, we must stop meeting like this, people will start to whisper. It really is of no surprise that I find myself back here again even though it is perhaps one of the most inconvenient places for me to get to; underground, overground, wombling free etc. This time it’s all about Peg & Patriot.A corridor’s hop away from the gorgeous Typing Room, Peg & Patriot is the Town Hall Hotel’s resident bar. Matt Whiley of One Leicester Street Hotel’s Talented Mr Fox has engaged his brain in a similarly ‘curiouser and curiouser’ nature and this latest spot does not disappoint. Whether you fancy a tipple after dinner or just want to get involved in some cocktails before you head out for the evening, Peg & Patriot have it covered in a fabulously imaginative way.The menu, upon close inspection is somewhat baffling and there isn’t a drink which hasn’t had a magic wand waved over it. As I perused the list of crazy cocktails, my mind placed pointed hats upon the heads of the wizards behind the bar and I definitely heard a spell or two being cast!With concoctions that include Greek yogurt gin, carrot-reisling cordial, pancake soda and chipotle grenadine, how could you resist embarking on this adventure?! We went for a Sumac my bitch up – mainly because of the name .. ALWAYS judge a book by it’s cover and all that!And a Paloma lone, fully equipped with stripy straw and sprinkled with a rim of caper salt.Behind all the wizardry, the cocktails do not fall short on flavour and while you don’t have to opt for the razzmatazz if you’d prefer something a little more traditional, the tastes you’ll discover just outside your comfort zone are well worth the gamble! littlebrownbooks.blogspot.com

  March 19, 2015, 4:44 pm

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• Brittany

  The Bethnal Green Town Hall, is firstly from the outside, a stunning piece of well maintained architecuture. Like many restored buildings it is the inside that is really something spectacular. Split into a hotel, two restaurants and a bar, they are all separate entities but very complementary of one another. The Peg and Patriot is the perfect place for a pre or after dinner drink. It has an old world, classy feel; with polished wood for miles, dim lighting and comfy couches. When we went here it was rather quiet but good for a cocktail before dinner. Perhaps not for a night of many cocktails or if you’re looking for a lively atmosphere. The service is polite, professional and not overly friendly. The cocktail list is unique with some very imaginative ingredients and clever names. We stuck with a classic cocktail with a slight twist, The Peg Martini. Made with yeast, vodka and fried olive brine. Sounded posh – tasted like a regular martini. No complaints though. I didn’t even have a look at the food menu and saw no one eating whilst we were there, I’m sure the food is great but I would much rather go and dine at one of the neighboring restaurants in the building. Overall a nice cocktail in a nice setting. However it very much has the feel of a hotel bar if that makes sense. Not quite lively enough to warrant a trip on its own but great for pre dinner drinks.

  January 31, 2015, 6:23 pm

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• Ali V

  I must say, they don’t half make an effort- some wild cocktail combinations and ingredients, waiters that are too cool for school, and a chair on the outside made entirely of…hair. Ew.Anyway, the decor is dark and minimalist; comfy couches frame the room, offering plenty of pockets for larger parties, while those in for a quick drink can perch around the bar.I went on a Saturday nightand it was a nice ambience; not too packed but enough people to feel like this was a place worth knowing about. Their menu threw me into a state of paralysis; all decision-making skills went out the window as I jumped between the menu that offers ingredients such as greek yoghurt gin, banana butter, pancake soda and other such oddities. All for quirky, I went for a ‘Come Mr Tally Man’, a sweet and slightly bizarre concoction of Maple Vodka, banana pancake soda and American oak. I wasn’t a fan, and will be sticking to pancakes for breakfast, rather than attempting them in cocktails!My lady friends went for a tagine genie- a refreshing and much more subtle drink made with pistachio gin- and Pho Money Pho Problems- which contained pak choi. This is a great place to come to explore odd combinations and try some really surreal ingredients; but not for those that know what they like. However, they do offer a range of funky beers and original wines, as well as being a well-equipped bar enough to do the more traditional drinks, should you ask.It reeked a little of pretence, and wasn’t taken with the waiter’s slightly uppity attitude. However, it is a fun place to try out and ideal for a ladies’ cocktail night, a dimly lit date or even a digestif before heading next door into The Corner Room. londonismyplayground.wordpress.com

  January 1, 2015, 1:36 am

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• Gingle Lists Everything

  After our dinner at The Culpeper we made our way home via The Peg and Patriot, recently opened in the Town Hall, another place poshing Bethnal Green up a bit. We took a stool at the bar and took a gander at the amusingly named cocktails. I was drawn towards the odder-sounding concoctions but chickend out and ordered the relatively normal ones instead. They have a penchant for savoury cocktails, or those taking inspiration from a dish hence the cocktail Pho Money, Pho Problems, designed to taste like pho, and the Rice Rice Baby, which uses rice ice cream liqueur. Needless to say they make all these crazy thigns in-house (where else would they get them from?!). I had the Rice Rice baby as a bit of a dessert to the evening and I really enjoyed the sweetened, bubbly drink. But first I ordered the Riot Cup Number One.Stephen had the Barley Legal to start which tasted like a grown-up pina colada, and which he wasnt very taken with and on the basis of this, didnt want to stay for a second. I must admit, in comparison to the ones at Discount Suit Company, I wasnt too enamoured either. The drink was eminently quaffable, but also reminded me a little too much of a Pimms. For drinks that sounded so different, they were a bit too familiar. But I persuaded him to take another bite at the cherry and our second drinks were much more to both our liking. His Rye your Eyes Mate came with a cherry dipped in beeswax for either peeling and eating whole, or, as he did, squishing into your drink. Ive already said my Rice Rice baby was a lovely little number. The place was pretty swanky looking though not exactly full of life on a Thursday night. Prices for this kind of establishment were pretty standard 8 or 9 pounds. jaminaward.wixsite.com

  November 19, 2014, 11:31 pm

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• Matt The List

  T and I wandered over to Patriot Square in Bethnal Green, home to the Town Hall Hotel which has recently mixed things up with an exciting new bar & restaurant double act. It used to be the home to Viajante with head chef Nuno Mendes, who’s now having a grand old time with all the celebs at the [insert overhyped or sensational] Chiltern Firehouse. In its place comes The Typing Room with Jason Atherton alumnus Lee Westcott in charge of the kitchen. I have only heard good things so far, but I hope to check it out myself soon.Anyway, we were already full of haggis & beef from a whisky festival so we only had eyes for Peg + Patriot, the new bar from the Talented Mr Fox team. TMF is one of my favourite spots for a cocktail in London, so expectations were very high.They toyed with the name Peg & Riot before deciding on Peg & Patriot, with peg referring to an informal unit of alcohol measurement. We settled down at the bar and cast our eyes over a bonkers cocktail menu that features salt beef beigels, coal oil and irn bru. They distill all sorts of bizarre liquids on a little piece of kit that sits at the back of the bar, including the Dog’s Nose Hop Gin which they sell under their Moonshine Kid moniker. Garnishes receive similar levels of attention with addictive pieces of fried olive brine & beeswax coated cherries the pick of the bunch.We settled down at the bar and cast our eyes over a bonkers cocktail menu that features salt beef beigels, coal oil and irn bru. They distill all sorts of bizarre liquids on a little piece of kit that sits at the back of the bar, including the Dog’s Nose Hop Gin which they sell under their Moonshine Kid moniker. Garnishes receive similar levels of attention with addictive pieces of fried olive brine & beeswax coated cherries the pick of the bunch.We started with two summery drinks – a playful Pimm’s style Riot Cup Number One made with White Port, O’Clock Sugar, Cucumber Phosphate & Ginger Ale, and an exotic Pina Colada inspired Barley Legal with Burnt Pineapple Rum, Buttered Banana, Barley, Cultured Coconut and Lime. Both refreshing & refreshingly different at the same time.Ally Martin from Talented Mr Fox was a few seats away doing some quality control Sunday drinking.My cunning plan to overlap my enablers failed as Caroline was running an hour late and Taro had to dash off to a concert in town. Luckily, two more drinks enthusiasts turned up for a drink and we tried a few more concoctions. Rich Woods (Cartizze / Duck & Waffle) and Sean Ware (Brand Ambassador for Bombay Spirits) joined me at the bar, enjoying an evening off before running a week long Bombay Sapphire Imaginarium popup at Callooh Callay (which ends 24th May).I moved on to a Pho Money Pho Problems made with Pho Spirit, Pak Choi & Lime Leaf, & Lime, garnished with an aromatic pile of ingredients. It was a effectively a Daiquiri with a savoury Vietnamese twist – an acquired taste but right up my street. On the side, I had a non-alcoholic Campari & Soda – get your head around that! They have also created booze-free Gin & Tonics. Better than it sounds!I also sampled the Scottish Porn Star (Passionfruit Hops, Thyme, Super T, Lime, Shot of Irn Bru) and the Peg Martini (Yeast – aka Marmite, Koniks Tail Vodka, Fried Olive Brine), which had great flavours to match the quirkiness. The Peg Martini was worryingly drinkable and probably would have lasted about 3 sips if I had been left alone with it.Don’t be fooled by the comedy names & nutty ingredients, these are serious drinks made by obsessive bartenders. Prices are reasonable with all drinks coming in at 10 or less. The back bar (or top shelf) is full of great spirits including the excellent core Compass Box Whisky range, and top local bottled beers from Beavertown, Redchurch & London Fields are there if you need them. If you get peckish, Iberico Pork + Fois Gras Sliders from across the hall are available. Set aside an evening for Peg + Patriot, you won’t want to leave. mattthelist.com

  August 29, 2014, 9:23 pm

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