Potemkin Bar

Potemkin sits perfectly in Farringdon surrounded by ex-warehouses, manufacturing units and blocks that have not been updated since the 1930’s. Approaching the bar it has a mirrored exterior and looks in a little disrepair, in fact I wasn’t even sure if it was open. Heading inside, things aren’t much better, its 8pm on a Tuesday night and the place is deserted. The barman suddenly appears but the selection behind the bar is foreign to my eyes and is not particularly extensive. He recommends a couple of bottles of Russian beer and we sit on low leather stools in the middle of the small wooden room. The beer is actually really good, and this is probably the first Russian beer I have ever had. Once inside you can see that the mirrored panels outside as one-way mirrors and we watch as flocks of people walk on past this almost-unoticeable venue. Heading downstairs the toilets are really nicely done in a very modern style with black marble and the whole basement is a tiny (also deserted) restaurant.

Overall the bar was perfectly pleasant for a quiet drink in slightly unusual surroundings. I have heard that it picks up at the weekend but it is a little on the small size and hard to notice, all alone on the Clerkenwell road but the beer is top notch and I will likely head back on a repeat visit to Farringdon - 6/10