Dirty Martini cocktail bar in Covent Garden

Dirty Martini is made with pressed olives in a choice of Belvedere Vodka or Bombay Sapphire Gin served chilled with fresh thyme & a few drops of Noilly Prat. Noilly Prat is a herbal Marseillan vermouth.

We got there on a Friday afternoon. It is round the corner from the Belushi’s, facing the old market in Covent Garden. The bouncer at the entrance inspected the bag that I carried straight from the office.

The first surprise was that the bar is in a basement. The second surprise is that it is a single square room and quite small for that sake. Dirty Martini punches above its size and weight. It may be small, but it was was packed.

Dirty Martini cocktail bar in Covent Garden

Other interesting findings: the ratio girls/boys was one of the highest in the Western Hemisphere. The music was a sophisticated and funky Brazilian groove. After some bites at Mixed olives, homous, tzatziki, pitta bread and the Dirty Martini I went for the Margarita Primo (Sauza Hacienda Tequila shaken with Cointreau & fresh lime juice, served frozen or straight up) and it was refreshing and a real treat.