This New Year's Eve we're going to party like its Studio 54 at 48 Lonsdale Road..

Yes, It’s that time of year again people – what to do on New Year’s Eve!?

Well look no further - why not celebrate the turning of 2011 in style and bring in the New Year at The Lonsdale! We’re recreating the heady atmosphere of Studio 54 with our very own Studio 48 themed party extravaganza! Studio 54 attire to get into the late 70s and early 80s vibe is essential - so dig out your best disco gear and prepare for an evening of classic 70s and 80s tunes mixed with some contemporary sets by The Lonsdale DJs. Our expert bar team will also be on-hand to mix up some appropriately disco-themed cocktails and to make sure the bar is flowing with champagne at midnight.

Guarantee yourself a whole evening of fabulous entertainment by booking a table for our special three course New Year’s Eve menu at £60 per person and receive a complimentary glass of champagne on arrival, alternatively general admission is £10 in advance and £15 on the door. Don’t forget to arrive by 7pm for complementary canapés!

Tickets are available on the door but will be on a first come first served basis so we recommend you book now to avoid disappointment.

Entry is strictly before 9.30pm, to RSVP email Tim@thelonsdale.co.uk

For more information please visit our website.

The Lonsdale is officially one of the best bars in the world

December is already proving to be a great month for us here at The Lonsdale... We’ve just been named one of the top 25 bars in the world by Drink International magazine in their 50 best bars in the world survey. We’re especially honoured to be one of only three London bars making it into the top 25 as voted for by 700 bar professionals from 50 countries.

Talking about the top 50, Drinks International said:

“It’s an impressive selection and, for those just starting their drinking travels, a perfect guide to great bars you should be ticking off along the way.”

If that wasn’t enough praise for one month, we’ve also been named a runner-up in the Time Out ‘Best of London: Readers Decide’ survey with one reader saying:

‘Great steak and an immense cocktail list.’

Thanks to everyone who voted for us and helped us to win these fabulous accolades. Here’s to more of the same in 2011!

The Lonsdale hosts Quiz Show on Wednesday 17th November from 7pm

Questions, questions, questions...

Q. Who was the 2005 WBC boxing champion?

Q. Which ex-soap starlet had hits with 'Torn' and 'Big Mistake'?

Q. In the Star Wars films, which two actors have played Oli Wan Kenobi?

If answering to the above (correctly) prove no issue for you, then why not grab your thinking cap and head down to The Lonsdale this coming Wednesday 17th November from 7pm, as we're hosting our very own Quiz Show (with a difference)! Don't worry though, it's nothing too taxing after hard day's work-graft, it's just a chance to have a mid-week drink and show off your fountain of knowledge to your friends and colleagues!

In charge of proceedings we've got comedian and Torchwood actor Tom Price, who will be dishing out the questions, as well as providing some quality comedic entertainment; imagine 'Have I Got News For You' without the cameras - unless, of course, you bring your own...

We'll have some marvellous prizes up for grabs throughout the evening, ranging from DVD's through to hard cash and the ultimate bar tab prize! So, brush up, brush off, and bring your brain along to The Lonsdale this Wednesday!

Q&A With the Great Allens of Mayfair

In light of the British Food Festival, we thought we would give our readers an insight into the brains behind the fantastic butchers: Allens of Mayfair. All of the meat served at The Lonsdale comes from these guys; we know that their product is top notch, but lets hear it from the horses mouth, (no – they don’t sell horse meat!)

Lonsdale - For a shop that has such a long history, was it daunting to take over and re-build?

Allens of Mayfair - We tidied it up; we didn’t re-build it as such. We gave it a new floor and ceilings, but nothing major.

L - We Brits are mostly a meat loving nation, and we have some great traditions. What is your favourite way of cooking beef?

A - My favourite way of cooking beef is to pan-fry and then grill it. For a fillet steak – literally two minutes on each side.

L - Which meat do your customers most like to buy? And can you say why this is?

A - Everything. Lamb, beef – we’re heading into game season so we are selling a lot of grouse, mallard and pheasant is very popular. It’s seasonal popularity more than anything else.

L - Over the years we’ve found that some cuts / types of meat rise and fall in popularity; is there anything missing from today’s market that you’d like to see make a comeback?

A - They are all making a comeback. Braising meats such as oxtail and lamb shank are coming back in.

L - We guess that over the years you have both consumed a mass amount of meat, but besides the usual, what’s the craziest you’ve eaten?

A - Lamb testicles. I got conned into eating it by a chef who told me that it was scampi. I quickly realised that it wasn’t!

L - Tell us more about your butchery classes?

A - We run the butchery classes every Wednesday from 1 – 2.30. It’s £100 a session – but you get five different cuts of meat and then you get to take it home. It is very popular – it is fully booked until December – a lot of people buy it as a Christmas present or birthday present.

We can’t really add much after lamb’s testicles…


Now that you know a little bit more about the minds behind the guys that provide us with our top quality meat, the next time you tuck into your steak or a burger, think about joining the top butchers at Allens – maybe it’s time for a butchery class…

For further information on Allens of Mayfair, visit their website http://www.allensofmayfair.co.uk/ or say hello on twitter - @allensofmayfair.

Whisky Masterclass

A huge thanks to all that joined us on our whisky masterclass last night; we hope that you had a great time and didn't find it too hard to get up for work this morning.

We had a bunch of very inquisitive & eager tasters, but the evening was such a success thanks to the host Neil, whose knowledge and passion for whisky created an entertaining evening for all.

Here's Neil’s fantastic whisky blog; it's definitely worth a read http://www.caskstrength.net/

We mustn't forget the cause of the evening, and that was to raise money for Jewish Child's Day (JCD). These guys put great effort into the evening, and we are glad to have played a part in contributing to such a great charity.

The Lonsdale Buck

So far September has been a pretty miserable month in London with tube strikes and the on/off rain showers, so we have decided to help you start the weekend with a spring in your step by making a little video showing how to make our beloved Lonsdale Buck. Hope you enjoy, and we'd love to hear from you if you give it a go.



Come say hello to us on Facebook - www.facebook.com/thelonsdalelondon

Whisky Masterclass

Want to taste some of the world’s best whisky and raise money for charity at the same time?

You should…and if you do, then we’d love to invite you a fantastic whisky tasting masterclass at The Lonsdale at 7.30pm on 14th September. Hosted by a top whisky expert from Diageo, you will have the opportunity to sample some of the best whiskies including: Dalwhinnie, Talisker, Caol Ila and Glenkinchie. All proceeds from the night will go to the Jewish Children’s Day charity, so after tasting some top tipple, you can feel good about yourself for your journey home.

For more information and details of exactly what you will learn on the night, check out the advert below.

Tickets cost £30 which includes a welcome whisky sour when you arrive. To book tickets, please email info@jcd.uk.com or call 0208 446 8804

WHISKY SOUR, ANYONE?

Today is national Whisky sour day, and if that’s not an excuse to pop in for a drink at the Lonsdale then I don’t know what is. Even though National Whisky sour day is probably arbitrarily assigned by some Whisky company, we like to embrace these tenuous holidays whole heartedly.

Some of you might not know what whisky sour is, but we’re here to erase that little bit of ignorance from your head.

Whisky Sour is a drink made with 3 parts Bourbon, 2 parts lemon juice and 1 part sugar syrup - you can put a bit of egg white in it, but then that makes it a Boston Sour. Shaken and served either straight or on ice, and traditionally garnished with half an orange slice and a cherry.

The oldest mention of a Whiskey sour comes from a newspaper published in Wisconsin, USA in 1870. It might be 140 years old, but that doesn’t stop it being just as good as ever.

And for all those wondering, the difference between The Lonsdale’s Whisky Sour and everyone else’s? Alex Palumbo, our Head Barman adds a dash of orange bitter and 5ml or maraschino cherry syrup. Why? Because it ‘makes it more delicious’ – his words. You heard it here first.

It's Friday again, so here's our weekly cocktail...

It’s mid August, it’s summer holiday season – we’re starting to feel slightly worried about bikini and trunks time. So here’s a (not all that) healthy cocktail. It has lime, an orange-based liqueur and mint. That has to be part of your five a day, surely? No? Oh well, we’ll start the diet tomorrow.

VIC’S MAI TAI

GLASS : ROCK
METHOD : SHAKE WITH ICE CUBES & DOUBLE STRAIN INTO THE GLASS OVER CRUSHED ICE
INGREDIENTS :
25 FRESHLY SQUEEZE LIME
10 ML ORGEAT
5 ML GOMME
25 ORANGE CURACAO
25 ML WRAY & NEPHEW
25 ML APPLETON EXTRA
GARNISH : ½ LIME SHELL & SPRIG OF MINT

Lonsdale's Guide to Notting Hill

As always there’s a lot going on out here in W11 at the moment, and we’ve taken it upon ourselves to bring you all bang up to date with the very best of it.

Starting us off we’ve got a Matthew Williamson Sample Sale, coming up this weekend (19th and 20th of August.) It’s at the 20th Century theatre, 291 Westbourne Grove, and is a great opportunity to see some of his best designs and with up to 70 per cent off ready-to-wear, beachwear and accessories it also promises to be a great place to pick up a bargain.

While on the topic of fabulous threads, you can see a selection of screen icon Grace Kelly’s clobber on show at the V&A museum, in South Kensington. The exhibition’s on until the 26th Sept and there’s over 50 of her outfits, not to mention more hats and jewellery than you can shake Grace’s Oscar at. By the way, her Oscar statue is going to be there too, but you’re not allowed to shake it.

Do you have a Garden? Does it have an outlandish sculpture? Do you want it to? Well if the answer to these questions is yes, no, yes or if you just fancy looking at some cutting edge garden art then we’ve got just the show for you. ‘Contemporary Art for the Garden’, is running at 1–5 Needham Road, W11 through until the 4th of September.

We’ve also heard rumour of a new, pop-up cinema hidden underneath the Westway. If it’s hidden too well we’ll give you a clue- it’s at 3 Acklam Road, W10 on Wednesday August the 18th at 7.40pm. It’s a one off evening where Hussain Currimbhoy presents some of his favourite films from the 2009 programme at the Sheffield Documentary Film Festival. Anyway it’s spontaneous cinema, what’s not to like?

You’ve also only got a last few days to get involved in Ping, the new travelling table tennis phase that’s been roaming London. It’s currently at the Notting Hill Arts Centre, (which is also home to YoYo, the best thing to happen to Thursday nights.) Marked 'Stop and Play', the tables are for all to enjoy. To join in just borrow a bat and ball from the side of the table and ping and pong to your hearts content.

Come back again soon for more reports on what’s hot and what’s not.

Monday Afternoon Cocktail...

If you've had a stressful welcome back to the new week, why not indulge and make yourself a beautiful cocktail...

TOMMY’S

GLASS : ROCK

METHOD : SHAKE WITH ICE CUBES & DOUBLE STRAIN INTO THE GLASS OVER ICE CUBES

INGREDIENTS :
50 ML olmeca altos BLANCO
15 ML AGAVE NECTAR
25 ML FRESHLY SQUEEZE LIME
GARNISH : NONE

The Rotten Hill Gang are playing at The Lonsdale.

Free on the 26th of August? The Rotten Hill Gang (sounds a bit like The Garbage Pail Kids!) are back in Notting Hill. They played at the Carnival in 2008, and we’re lucky enough to have them come play a set for us on the 26th of this month. Described as ‘Dickensian Hip Hop’ these guys have supported Mick Jones in the past and have an eclectic mixture of songs that include movie soundtracks mixed in with rock ‘n’ roll. They’re very unique, bang on trend and we’re extremely excited to have them, quite literally ‘in the house’.

http://www.myspace.com/officialrottenhillgang

R.A.C Cocktail

To shake things up a little (get it? Cocktails…shaking…) we’re giving you all a mid-week cocktail. It’s raining outside, summer appears to have deserted us, so we’ve decided to turn to drink. We’ll still be bringing you a Friday cocktail, but for now – enjoy.

Recipe by Fred Fraeck in 1914, R.A.C. means Royal Automobile Club. This is the largest club in London with over 16000 members

GLASS : COUPETTE

METHOD : STIR WITH ICE CUBES & DOUBLE STRAIN INTO THE GLASS

INGREDIENTS :
50 ML TANQUERAY
20 ML NOILLY DRY
20 ML NOILLY ROUGE
5 ML GRENADINE
1 DASH OF ORANGE BITTERS
GARNISH : CHERRY & ORANGE PEEL

First Wednesday

There’s always been a case of East vs. West in London, and now for the first week of each month, the rivalry continues with First Wednesdays. Focusing on creative businesses in the Notting Hill area such as art galleries, fashion boutiques, design spaces as well as music and entertainment, the project is similar to its would-be sister, First Thursdays, over in East London.

In addition to exclusive entry to exhibitions at some of the finest galleries in West London, many of the boutiques will be offering up some hefty discounts. One such generous bunch are Wolf & Badger, who are offering discounts of up to 40% on selected designer products if you visit their recently opened shop. Look out for one of their newest additions, FS Augusta, whose quirky iconic pig rings are in hot demand right now.

Be sure to also visit the vintage eyewear archive at the Oliver Goldsmith store as well – they’ll be giving away a limited edition tote bag with every purchase.

If you’re not local to West London or you’re worried that you won’t be able to hot foot it over after work, fear not. The beauty of First Wednesdays is that all venues open their doors late especially for the occasion.

And of course as the official after party venue, we’ll be welcoming all guests through our humble doors. To celebrate the occasion, Alex has created the appropriately named ‘Notting Hillbilly’ cocktail. Just remember to bring your flyer, available from all participating organisations.

Cocktail of the week - Negroni

It's Friday afternoon, which means...it's cocktail time. We've chosen the Negroni as it has quite the burn to it. Give it a go this weekend. As of next month, we'll have a special cocktail of the month video, so keep a look out for that.

Glass: Rocks glass

Method: Build all ingredients over ice in a mixing glass and stir thoroughly

Ingredients:

35ml Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth
25ml Beefeater 24
25ml Campari
2 dashes Angostura bitter
2 dashes orange bitter

Garnish:
Orange wedge

Our Head Chef Jason Wallis...

We had a chat with our Head Chef, Jason Wallis about his love of food and his love of The Lonsdale. Have a read to see where he gets his cooking inspiration from, what his favourite dish is and his revealing cocktail of choice.

Lonsdale - Could you give us a brief history of your career?

Jason Wallis - I’ve worked at quite a few notable restaurants in my day – The Great Eastern Hotel, Lewis and Clarke, Hawksmoor, and most recently The Lonsdale. I am really passionate about using quality steaks, so it’s really great to be working in a restaurant such as The Lonsdale that has encouraged me to use excellent British sourced dry aged beef.

L - Why did you choose Allens of Mayfair as your meat supplier?

JW - I was trawling the internet for rare breed beef when Allens of Mayfair kept popping up so I investigated further. They are one of the oldest butchers in the UK and the most renowned Master butchers. I had to visit them and take some samples of steak home to cook for my family. The dishes got rave reviews from the family, so if it’s good enough for my family, it’s good enough for my customers! Our rare breed Cairngorm steak is served with homemade sauces, triple cooked chips, and is a culinary delight.

L - What about your vegetables, where do you source them and why?

JW - It’s very important to me to source my ingredients from local businesses and help support the community during this very difficult financial climate. At The Lonsdale we really make an effort to use vegetables from the local grocers.

L - What is your favourite dish that you’ve ever created?

JW - I’m very proud of my red onion and goat’s cheese tart, which has already made an appearance on The Lonsdale menu. The way the sweet red onion cuts against the goat’s cheese is a pleasurable treat. Everything is held together by this crisp puff pastry.

L - What is your favourite dish on offer at The Lonsdale?

JW - The pan seared scallops and chorizo and butternut squash puree tastes amazing and is a dish that never fails to leave me salivating!

L - What can we look forward to for the Autumn/Winter menu?

JW - The dish I’m most proud of is a tossup between the braised lamb shanks or a slow cooked ox tail. They’re both my pièce de résistance.

L - What do you feel are the most important factors when creating a menu?

JW - I’m very much influenced by what’s happening in that season and balancing that with the taste.

L - What is your favourite cocktail?

JW - The Godfather, which is a dangerously delicious concoction of one shot of whisky, one shot of amaretto, a dash of orange bitters, a dash of angostura bitters, and a twist of orange peel. Everything is then poured over ice and stirred.

L - What would be your last supper – where, with whom, and what dish?

JW - I asked my son this question and told him to answer it for me to see if he got it right, and I’m proud to say he did! He said, “It would be at home with my family, eating a nice home cooked curry.” We often do this and I deliberately cook too much so that we end up eating it for days!

Cocktail of the week - Drake's Mojito

We’re going all skull and crossbone-esque. Our cocktail of the week is a take on Ernest Hemmingway’s favorite tipple, a Drake’s Mojito.

Our version of this popular cocktail is named after its historical creator, Richard Drake. He was a British pirate and a subordinate of the famous Captain Francis Drake. Richard Drake was in Havana in 1586 when he used Aguardiente, a primitive version of rum, to create the ancestor of the drink we all know today. This light and refreshing drink is perfect for a hot summer’s day.

GLASS : HI-BALL
METHOD : BUILD & MUDDLE INTO THE GLASS, SERVED OVER CUBED ICE
INGREDIENTS :

2/3 MINT STALK
3 BAR SPOONS OF SUGAR SYRUP
25 ML FRESHLY SQUEEZED LIME
25 ML ABELHA 3 YEARS GOLD CACHACA
25 ML HAVANA ANEJO ESPECIAL RUM
TOP UP WITH STILL WATER

GARNISH : WOODEN SPOON

Making the most of Notting Hill this summer

Notting Hill has an abundance of hidden gems and is a hive of activity throughout the summer. We have endeavoured to discover a few favourites, so let loose the Notting Hillbilly in you and explore:

Portobello Art & Design Market (24th July) : This weekend you will find young and established artists gathering under the Westway Flyover at Acklam Square. A newly established market of 20-30 stalls has been set up in this area, already renowned for its street art.

Sugarlesque Burlesque Craft Parlour (1st August) : For all you retro leaning gals who love your lingerie, head over to What Katie Did, (26 Portobello Green), to take advantage of their 10% discount. For the more adventurous, join the burlesque pastie and nipple tassel workshop, run by an ex performer.
Tickets cost £30, email sugar@sugarlesque.com for more information.

The Fields by Casper Scarth (until 26th August) : experimental art gallery Kester + Bles have launched their Backroom, with a special solo show from Casper Scarth. The exhibition explores themes of freedom and autonomy through surrealist paintings and drawings which will leave you slightly disconcerted.

If these leave you gasping for a cocktail, then head over to The Lonsdale for our refreshing cocktail of the week, the Russian Spring Punch.

Get to know Dtwo Design

We caught up with Dave Knight from Dtwo, the team behind the redesign of The Lonsdale, who filled us in on a little bit about himself and the project.

Lonsdale - What was your brief with the Lonsdale?

DK - Simply to redesign an already great night spot, making the venue slicker and tailoring The Lonsdale for an increasingly discerning bunch of West London sophisticats not content with an ailing interior decor and also to impact, through good design, the day to day (or night to night) operational side of the business.

Lonsdale - What did you set out to achieve with the space?

DK - The trick at The Lonsdale was tweaking the Operational side and really making the bar and dining room functional. Once that is concrete you’re half way there and before you know it your deep down and dirty with the finishes.

DK - Being no stranger to The Lonsdale’s late night antics I was already familiar with the space and had for years thought about ‘what could be’ whilst waiting for drinks service in the ‘narrow squeeze’ that was a Friday and Saturday night.

Lonsdale - What was your inspiration behind the design?

DK - The design side of things come naturally. We are constantly playing with materials and have a good angle on how things should look and be constructed. We’re inspired by just about everything that surrounds us.

DK - It was imperative we focused our attentions on the operational side as mentioned firstly. The interior fit by Dtwo is usually a more technical affair, choosing to shun wall paper in favour of a mechanically textured finish in whatever form it may take. We feel commercial fits shouldn’t utilise products you could buy for your home, they should be different, challenging and individual. Bar and dining experiences are about theatre, drama and about the actual experience. It should be about a sensory experience that one wouldn’t get by staying home! It’s about going for it and getting involved!

Lonsdale - What has been your favourite project and why?

DK - It’s got to be the first project we ever took on - back in the 90s! It was our first foray in to the dark and sometimes rather murky world of the London bar scene. A project that cost the best part of £900,000, which back in the day was not unheard of...In fact it was almost the norm. It enabled us to work solely on the one project, from inception to completion. It was a blast from start to finish. Great friendships were formed, and a great bar was delivered!

Lonsdale - What do you enjoy most about your job?

DK - I love tinkering and being inquisitive. Formally trained at Central in Product and Industrial design says it all really. I ride everywhere on motorbikes, most of which we build and race. I love wearing a suit one day and overalls the next. I love dealing with old white lab coat manufacturers with handlebar moustaches (you know who you guys are) and have a penchant for the British Industrial Age.

Lonsdale - And finally, if you could only give one piece of advice to someone who is looking to re-design a bar/restaurant, what would it be?

DK - Get involved, get excited, get passionate and don’t accept no for an answer. Go full on, go all out and have a blast whilst you do it.

http://www.dtwodesign.com/

Cocktail of the Week

The RUSSIAN SPRING PUNCH is the perfect start to the weekend...

INGREDIENTS:
50ml Stolichnaya
25ml Lemon Juice
15ml Sugar syrup
Top with Champagne
15 ML Cassis Float

Simply build the ingredients into a catalina glass over cubed ice and finish with lemon and redcurrants.

The Word on the Street...

Have a read over what people have been saying about us since our re-launch.

COCKTAIL OF THE MONTH

Our cocktail of the month for July is the perfect cocktail hour cool down.

Popularised in the British Antilles near the beginning of the nineteenth century, the Jersey Sangaree combines Tanqueray Gin, two kinds of liqueur, still water and a fortified wine float. The ingredients are built into a large wine glass over a bed of crushed ice and churned. This combination of flavours promises a refreshing cocktail choice, ideal for long hot hazy summer nights in London.

For budding cocktail enthusiasts keen to impress with this historic cocktail at home, here is how to make the Jersey Sangaree:

Ingredients

25ml Tanqueray Gin
4 dashes orange bitter
10ml Suze Liqueur
10ml Yellow Chartreuse Liqueur
25ml still water
25ml Noilly Amber Vermouth for the float

Simply build the ingredients into a large wine glass over crushed ice and churn. For garnish, we like a cinnamon stick, lemon and grated nutmeg. However, any citrus fruits will work.

World's Best Cocktail Menu?

Here at the Lonsdale, we take the art of cocktail making very seriously. Cocktail connoisseurs love our 30 page menu, containing both classics and the more contemporary. So you can imagine how delighted we are to learn that we’ve been recognised by the 2010 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Award, as a nominee for the ‘World’s Best Cocktail Menu.’

Held on July 24th at the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans, the awards bring together the best in the industry for a five day celebration of the history and artistry of making the perfect cocktail. The ‘World’s Best Cocktail Menu’ award seeks to reward the most innovative cocktail menus the globe has to offer, and takes into account both design and content.

As the only bar outside the States to be nominated in this category, we’re thrilled to have found our place on the global map and look forward to many more cocktail adventures. Fingers crossed we can bring the award back to Notting Hill.

To read more about the awards and the other categories, visit their website here: http://www.talesofthecocktail.com/

NEW BEGINNINGS

Last night marked our grand launch – after months of preparation and anticipation, we’ve finally arrived...

Starting as we very much mean to go on, we welcomed the likes of Zafar Rushdie, Sara Buys (Mrs Tom Parker Bowles) and Sarah Gilmour to our newly refurbished site. Special thanks going to our guest DJ for the night, Poppy Delevingne, who got the party going with a great set.

While we tried to serve our entire (vast) menu of cocktails, we focused on giving a taste of our own favourites to quench the thirst of our revellers – The Lonsdale’s famed Drake Mojitos and Elderflower Martinis. To line the stomachs, the circulating canapés were taken from our comprehensive steakhouse menu, which we are proud to have Allen’s of Mayfair providing. The mini Beef Wellingtons particularly went down a charm...

Thanks to everyone who came and helped make our launch a night to remember.

We’re now on Twitter and Facebook – check out the latter for all the photos from the night.

www.twitter.com/the_lonsdale

www.facebook.com/thelonsdalelondon

SOME OF THE ATTENDEES

Ben Entwistle & Tim Gardner

Poppy Delevingne

Sarah Parker Bowles

Sarah Jane Crawford