L’Aiglon – Disco Cocktails and Comfort Food
PUBLISHED October 6th, 2015 10:00 am | UPDATED June 23rd, 2020 09:06 pm
Since its grand opening in 2014, L’Aiglon has swiftly established itself in the hearts of discerning drinkers islandwide.
One year on, this cocktail bar on Neil Road has gone through a few changes – the most significant would be the arrival of Australian barkeep Nicholas Quattroville (formerly of The Library). Taking on the role of General Manager, he’s joining forces with L’Aiglon’s gifted head bartender, Louis Tan. And believe us, the results are nothing short of sensational.
Head Bartender Louis Tan
Drawing inspiration from the disco era, their revamped cocktail list features robust flavours that dominated the 1970s and 80s. Unabashedly flying in the face of the bar scene’s trend towards seriousness and gravitas – in fact, lightening up on their own previous reputation for being purveyors of premium champagnes and rare whiskies – L’Aiglon’s new approach is summed up best by Nick: ‘There’s just one goal here, really. We want to make you smile.’ Well, after sampling highlights from the new cocktail list, we were grinning from ear to ear.
So, what’s good? Resisting the temptation to say ‘everything’, do not miss All Shook Up ($18), which is basically – we’re not kidding – a red wine milkshake. A throwback to American disco-diner culture, it features Sangiovese, a maraschino cherry, cocoa syrup, condensed milk and a positively delicious dollop of red-wine flavoured whipped cream.
All Shook Up and Garde La Peche
‘We didn’t think it could be done, at first,’ said Louis, chuckling at our expressions of wonderment. When pressed, he described the gruelling process from drawing board to menu; a beverage goes through a minimum of 3 weeks of fiddling and experimentation before it’s deemed ready. It’s usually a lot longer though, with the trickier ones taking up to three months to get right.
Their dedication shows in other hits like the exquisite Tony Manero ($19), featuring Tonka Bean Sweet Vermouth, Amontillado (a medium-dry sherry), Talisker Whisky, and Becherovka (a Czech herbal liqueur). The rich aroma of the rare, prized tonka beans is simply divine – ask Louis to give you a whiff of his private stash (if he’s in a good mood).
Frittata
The Garde la Peche ($20) is a nod to L’Aiglon’s French influence. Taken from a French phrase traditionally used to cheer people on, its delicious fruity, peach-y flavour (from Grape-Infused Gin, White Wine, Crème de Peche, and the French liqueur Yellow Chartreuse) is immensely refreshing. You also might want to give L’Aiglon’s masterful take on the Piña Colada ($25) a spin, too. Here, the classic beverage has been updated with coconut rum, bourbon, bitters, and a sensational, homemade, coconut cream. It’s served in a coconut, just in case you had any lingering doubts about the homemade-ness. Delicious.
It’s intriguing that the food and the drinks are heading in divergent directions, conceptually; the cocktails have become more accessible and fun, whilst food-wise the sliders, samosas and beloved crab cakes have been phased out in favour of a more sophisticated range of dishes. We’d be slightly miffed about losing old favourites if the new additions weren’t so good.
Croissant Toasty
The infinitely tasty Slow Cooked Beef Cheek ($12) sees gorgeous hunks of tender meat, celeriac, and carrot enveloped by the savoury, soft, rich potato mousse. Stuffed with sublime mouthfuls of ham, raclette cheese and onion marmalade, the icing on the Croissant Toasty ($9) was definitely the sinful, crackling layer of grilled parmesan on top. Another comforting – and gloriously addictive – pick is the Frittata ($8), a soft, comforting quiche of caramelised onion, confit potato and pickled red peppers.
Crème Brûlée
End off with L’Aiglon’ house specialty Crème Brûlée ($7), which is quite simply one of the best in town, and perhaps a drink or two for the road. You’ll be plotting your return, even as you leave.
