Nottingham’s city centre is certainly not short of places to go for cocktails, with countless bars and edgy basements such as Pepper Rocks and Bunk. However the famous cocktail bar and restaurant, The Alchemist has finally travelled to the East Midlands and, after hearing this news, I eagerly counted down the days until it opened its doors.
Before going I looked up the cocktail menu online (a habit of mine) and was met with an enticing array of over 50 cocktails with mysterious names such as the ‘Bubblebath’ and the ‘Colour Changing One’ so I was very excited to go and try some out.
The décor of The Alchemist was probably what I was most looking forward to as the website suggested it wasn’t just your ordinary cocktail bar. The alchemy theme definitely came across, with test tubes and different sciencey-looking glasses labelled with different chemicals on shelves behind the bar. People were walking around with different shaped glasses with amazing looking drinks in them, some with smoke pouring out which definitely went with the theme. Watching the mixologists create the cocktails was mesmerising – each one is trained to make seven cocktails at a time, so there was no endless waiting in line despite the fact that it was very busy!
I decided to go for the ‘White Chocolate Raspberry’ cocktail, which contained Absolut raspberry vodka, cranberry, Chambord and ‘white chocolate cream foam’. It lived up to my expectations and the sweetness of the Chambord was complimented by the swirled foam on top, definitely an amazing creation.
Everything about The Alchemist was just how you want a cocktail bar to be, however the only downfall was the lack of seating and the relatively small area provided for the bar section. However, admittedly I was there on Saturday night at 11pm so it was probably one of the busiest times to go. Although the cocktails are on the pricey side with the cheapest one being £7.75, I would say that it’s a great place for a special occasion and the price is reasonable for the type of cocktail being served.
Overall I would say that The Alchemist is one of the most high end places to go for cocktails in Nottingham and if you’re looking to try something different than your everyday Pornstar Martinis and Strawberry Daiquiris it is the perfect place. They even offer cocktail making classes which would make a perfect gift or celebration.
Edited By Niamh Perry
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