Lab Bar

I really am a fan. There was no one in when me and my friend went but somehow it still had atmosphere. That is a win in anyone’s eyes!
The music was good to bob along to but easy to ignore when we were chatting. The food was high quality and the waiter was happy to keep asking the chef questions for our inquisitive taste buds.
Upstairs was closed when we went mid week but there is a little balcony which if the road is not busy could be lovely.
Only down side was the cocktail. A chocolate espresso martini (which got me very excited) but turned out to be a chocolate milkshake with a hint of vodka. Choose your drinks carefully and don’t hope for a large variety of beer.
Loved the booths, they have cusions and feel like you are completely alone in the world.

I wanted to like lab. And I very nearly did, however the service was unforgivable on our first, and I’m sorry to say, what will be our only visit.
A group of 6 of us visited for a couple of drinks after work, and I must say we didn’t quite get the warmest of welcomes. We ordered drinks and some bits of food and sat at the large bench in front of the bar.
My friend and I ordered their chocolate twist on an espresso martini which was pretty nice!
The food arrived pretty quickly too. My friends shared some garlic dough balls which were quite nic, easily the best part of food. Another friend ordered a sandwich which I think was ok. My friend and I shared the tomato garlic bread, which wasn’t very nice at all! It had a very strange taste to it, I’m not sure what it was, maybe the garlic had been burned? The dough was a bit thick and I felt it should have been pulled larger to create a bigger pizza bread. We ate it anyway as we had somewhere to be and was hungry, but then my friend bit into a large shard of plastic! It was long and very sharp.
Horrified, I took the food to the counter and showed the bartender the plastic. Now you’d probably expect him to be equally horrified/​embarrassed. No. He took it off me without batting an eyelash. I told him I didn’t want any more food (not that he offered). He continued making his drinks order.
Unsure what to do I sat down, hoping he’d come over to rectify this potentially dangerous situation. Eventually he took the plate to the kitchen, returned and explained that the chef was sorry and that they’ve changed their policy and won’t be using the plastic containers the shard had come from anymore.
Then he walked away!
Not an offer of a refund, or a drink on the house. Nothing. I was appalled at how the situation was handled; no urgency, barely an apology, and no reason to return in my opinion.

At first, I wasn’t convinced. Not in judgement of how they look — it’s beautiful, and I’ll get to that in a minute — but the staff didn’t at first greet us or say hi. They were busy away with customers, some at the bar and some being brought drinks in the upstairs, but it was a little strange not to get a «hello». Even so, that was the only minor thing I’d criticise, since the rest of the visit was absolutely fantastic.
I’m a fan of the décor; it’s very fresh and cool and very right now. You’ve light fixtures hanging by cords (this is very popular in Madrid right now too) and lamp shades that are ostensibly wire cages (I also see these a lot) — they remind me of a geometric puzzle toy I had as a kid. There are also rustically painted high stools, barrels-​turned-​chairs, cool little booths, cages for the spirits, and taps behind the bar without labels. You get the idea: reclaimed materials, new vintage looks, and super hipster. I don’t use that word negatively, like most. I’m at peace with the fact a hipster aesthetic is one that I enjoy. (Distinct from enjoying what we know to be the modern hipster attitude, for clarification.)
They’ve made their own cocktail menu, as well as serving classics, and it’s not bad! I like the fact it looks science-​y — this might appear too twee for actual chemists (I have my sister’s voice in my head there) but it appeals to me. I usually avoid the house-​made concoctions as I love the simple classics, but the tiny twists here are good. I had their version of the caipirinha and it was so spot on I had it three times: sweet, strong, and sour. My friend stuck with their version of a zombie too, which tasted more fruit than strong, but it works.
Once we were served the staff were totally lovely — plenty of chat, and they let me charge my phone behind the bar! (She even went to fetch a charger for me – after that I didn’t have the heart to tell her I take my own everywhere!) The atmosphere was quiet, but I figure that to be in part because they’re new, in part because it’s not the standard part of town for drinks, and in part because February is a brutal month, cash-​wise. I actually loved that it was quiet.
If you’re looking for a secret spot to have actually lovely drinks on a weekend — minus the usual crowds and bs – this is your place. It’s larger than Blind Tyger, so you can bring a big group, and they don’t do that thing that every other place does that I really dislike — turn the lights so dim you need glasses by the end of the night from straining. The staff are friendly, the drinks are well made, and the outdoor spot looks like it’ll be muchly-​coveted come summer. Hot tip: they even have an upstairs (with balcony, I think?) and they’ll bring your drinks to you. I didn’t see it, but I plan to soon.