Miranda

Review

More space for cocktails

Photo: Heribert Corn The office became too small. Firstly, because Tentwo is no longer such a small architectural firm, and secondly, because the architects merged a little with the landlords of Finkh, whose neighbors they were and which they also designed seven years ago. Gregorio Santamaria and Chieh-shu Tzou's first joint project with Fridolin Fink was the open-plan bar If Dogs Run Free, followed by Elektro Gönner last October, and now they have opened another one - in the former office. On the one hand, they feel extremely comfortable in Esterházygasse, says Santamaria, they know everyone and are "at home here". On the other hand, it turned out that Dogs could never really meet the demands of the passionate cocktail researcher: the place was too big, the orders too fast, the bar too small. Which is why they now wanted to create a place for high-quality cocktail enjoyment, but without any American bar clichés or gloomy secret science. And they have probably succeeded. Extremely inviting, cheerful and unpretentious, the former carpenter's workshop has been given a long marble bar, a bit of pastel color and a fantastic bar garden; and behind the bar is Matty Vinnitski, a man who really knows his way around the preparation of mixed alcoholic drinks and has a lot of ideas on how to take what has already been good a bit further.
He came from Belgium three years ago, when mixology wasn't really his thing, but was then infected by Gregorio Santamaria's cocktail enthusiasm, worked in the half-city for six months and is now an enthusiast. When he mixes a "Bailey" (which has nothing whatsoever to do with the chocolate liqueur, but is a mixture of grapefruit and lime juice, mint, syrup and gin), you'll be happy to leave any mojito behind - refreshingly sour, bittersweet, aromatic, super (€ 9.50). Or a drink called Damascus Sour, for which he mixes eight-year-old Bacardi with home-made cardamom-honey syrup, pepper, lime and cucumber, are you daft, it's good, much funnier than all those intrusive cucumber creations you've barely been able to escape in recent years (€ 9.50). Or a Margarita de Monje, in which chartreuse and green coriander find their way in, as well as a few drops of various Mexican aromatic essences produced by a couple who are friends in Mexico - fantastic (€ 11). It should also be mentioned that they are dedicated to the cultivation and collection of spirits in the rum, mezcal and - hooray! - Rye, which has been distilled to the hilt again in recent years since the change in American quasi-prohibition and is currently very hot. A good, fun bar, finally! Summary: Cocktail is bland? Nope, not at all here, they are colorful, creative, cheerful, not unnecessarily sweet. Just like the whole bar. Miranda 6th, Esterházyg. 12 Tel. 01/952 87 94 Mon-Thu 6pm-2am, Fri, Sat 6pm-4am

More in Bar, Nightclub
Food & Drink in Vienna