Restaurant Guide

Mint Leaf Lounge

Contact Address : Angel Court Lothbury, Bank, London, EC2R 7HB, United Kingdom

Tel :02076000992

Click here to view Our Location Map

The Mint Leaf Lounge

by Just Jen

The drinks

If ‘Mint Leaf Lounge & Restaurant’ was a man I would have to marry him. Yes that’s how good it is. Oozing sophistication, Mint Leaf Lounge reclines in a Courtyard style side street, situated 2 minutes away from Bank station. It’s been advertised as a contemporary Indian restaurant and bar, but the plethora of amazing cocktails, trendy ambience and ‘you realise I’m not a VIP don’t you?’ service sets it above from the rest.

Having had various recommendations from work colleagues about the extensive cocktail list I decided it was time to explore. Deciding work could wait; we walked in at 5.04pm on a Thursday evening and were greeted with a mixologists dream. A bar so long it resembled the horizon on a beach, stacked with around 500 different spirits.

Some extremely friendly door staff ushered us to the bar, which was fairly quiet and made a nice change from the usual lecherous City Bars. Looking around at the sublimely smooth dark wooden floors and partitions adorned by the contrasting soft cream leather seating and feature wall lights, you would be forgiven for thinking that you were in a Vegas Bar (minus the tackiness).

Depending on how busy the area is you can choose to have waiter service or stand at the bar. My high heels and aching feet made the choice for me, so we sat slightly away from the bar with a delightful waiter at our beck and call. Trying to work our way through the cocktail menu was probably a mistake. Each one has a lethal amount of alcohol. However, your taste buds, manipulated by the sweet and fruity tastes, don’t seem to heed the warnings. Seven cocktails later, ranging from flavoured Mohitos to the intricate cucumber and Wasabi martini, and my head was spinning. My particular favourite was the ‘Porn Star’ martini, which is a hedonistic mix of papaya, vanilla vodka plus a shot of champagne to chase it down.

However, as with all good things, there are a few imperfections. The cocktails take their time being born. It is excruciating to watch a barman crush strawberries individually and let’s not even talk about the herb crushing. My advice is order in bulk. The finale is the wallet snatching, purse-crushing bill. Cocktails start at £9 but can go up to an extortionate £50! Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed my visit there, Mint Leaf Lounge is a treat that shouldn’t be over indulged. Would I still be glad I’d married Mint Leaf after the hangover? Yes, indeed I would.

The Food

Having decided ‘Mint Leaf Lounge and Restaurant’ lived up to the hype in the ‘Lounge’ department, I decided to tease my taste buds with its culinary delights.

Living in the credit crunch era has meant consumers are becoming more price savvy. So this particular consumer decided to browse the Top Table deals for Mint Leaf and much to her delight found it in the 50% off food category. Armed with a hollow stomach and expandable waistline trousers she trounced to Mint Leaf and was again greeted by the warm door staff.

The seating area for dining is much the same décor as the bar area, cream leather and contrasting dark wooden flooring. You are flanked by various Buddha statues, all-sharing knowing smiles. The ever-smiling waiters and waitresses’ float around you like graceful cheetahs – swift but smooth. The blip in the evening comes when it’s discovered the 50% off food is only on a set menu and this menu is limited to mainly seafood and vegetarian options. No baby lamb rack for me then.

Whilst licking my wounds I scoured the menu and decided upon Paneer stuffed with rhubarb and raisin chutney, Plaice with Black Dhal and a Chocolate Brownie dessert. Ok so I cheated with the Paneer as this was on the full price menu, but I am so glad I did. This Paneer was outrageously good. Soft but not crumbling, chewy but not tough and topped with deliciously light chutney that laced and sealed the deal. The Plaice was meaty but fragrant and the Black Dahl, well, trying not to sound too much like Nigella Lawson and her ‘culinary Viagra’ quips, it was simply mind blowing. Smothered in crushed tomatoes and ginger, it was a truly mouth-watering adventure. The dessert was a standard affair, but what could I expect after ordering a chocolate brownie?

The dining experience here is a relaxed yet trendy affair. One thing that may be a problem for some is the music. Funky house and techno beats initially transport you to emerald green seas and idyllic shorelines. Although later on the beats become more infectious and almost intrusive when trying to have a conversation. It can either liven up or suffocate the night depending on your mood.

Also if you do dare to delve out of the Top Table menu, be prepared for some hefty prices. A sour mango salad starter is £7, for this amount you could find an Air Asia flight and pluck the mango yourself. However, that’s just the scrooge in me. The Chicken Chettinad is an authentic Tamil dish on the menu and is no doubt cooked to perfection. For a great Indian restaurant with superb service, food and atmosphere look no further than Mint Leaf.