THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
411 St John St, London EC1V 4AB
The 411 ‘Neighbourhood Bar,’ in a swanky new building within the historic area of the Angel, Islington, aims to do for food and drink what our 4-1-1 pages do for advice – give you everything you need to know to enjoy life this side of the Atlantic, with a distinctly American flavor.
American actress, journalist and regular contributor Alex Kolton joined me to check out if owners Incipio Group, who specialize in clubs and bars with distinct personalities, had succeeded in bringing a slice of the Big Apple to The Smoke.
Our consensus? Yes, indeed they have. Even on a not too full Thursday lunchtime The 411 was welcoming, and our server could not have been friendlier or more knowledgable. The menu’s headlines looked a little bar ordinaire – Bar Snacks, Sandwiches, Burgers, Pizzas, the usual. However …
Bar Snacks include Warm soft pretzel, Mac and cheese croquettes, Popcorn shrimp and Korean fried chicken. Sandwiches ain’t no Brit cheese & pickle, instead there’s Reuben, Poboy and Philly cheesesteak. There’s a Bacon PBJ burger – standing for peanut butter, bacon & jam. Pizzas are named for Staten Island, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx and Queens. American boxes ticked.
While considering the food options we relaxed with cocktails – New York Sour (£11.50), the NYC element provided by a Nero d’Avola float, and Kale & Ginger Margarita (£13), zingy twist on a classic - what can I tell ya, it works!
Back at the menu, the hard part was deciding what not to eat. So we went for New York Tapas – many small plates and a sandwich each. Everything tasted authentically NY, nothing was overpriced (£12 or £13 for the sandwiches, snacks from £4 to 9), and there was a good sized portion of all of them. Standout dish? Frickles! They just don’t do them right in most Brit establishments.
Visit in the evening and The 411 will have more of a buzz, with regular events, resident vinyl DJs spinning soul, funk, R&B, and jazz (understandably recorded music at lunchtime, but a cool selection). On ‘Wall Street Wednesdays’ you can play the markets as you choose your drinks - the libations becomes ‘stock,’ as drinks become less popular their price falls and vice versa!
With a Manhattan loft feel and a New York vibe, any American will feel right at home at The 411. We did, and we’ll be back.
