Aces & Eights is my kind of local. Only problem is, Tufnell Park is about as local to me as Timbuktu. Still, I’m glad I rode the Northern Line; this newbie is a honey. Rough-hewn booths, flickering neons, posters advertising gigs circa The Doors and a collage of well-stacked cuties clipped from vintage top shelf mags design the down-and-dirty vibe. Dimly lit, its butch bar counter punctuated by high stools and staffed by laid-back ‘tenders out of a 1960s East Coast garage band, this rakish rock’n’roll scruff - with its blaring leather, denim and cheesecloth Route 66 soundtrack and occasional live bands - belongs in a Brooklyn backstreet. It’s an impression reinforced by the bar’s chow; big, horny pizzas to match anything you’ll snarf on Long Island. That, and a useful selection of whiskey and bourbon. Whiskey Sours - half-price before 8pm - are fair enough and my jet-lagged Nancy Sinatra-esque arm candy perks up on Cherry Smash. But, since bourbon’s your thing, how about more adventurous cocktails, guys? Rat Pack Manhattan, De La Louisiane or a Mrs Robinson? (You'll find the recipes in Difford's Guides) Talking of Mrs Robinson, much underwear has been shed within. The custom, I’m told, is for feverish females to whip off their scants. Judging by the pants panties and boring Brenda bras strung above the bar like washday in Wigan, what NW5 needs next is a branch of Agent Provocateur.
156-158 Fortess Rd NW5 7485 4033 www.acesandeightssaloonbar.com
