Closet Bar: Creative Cocktails That Don’t Compromise on Quality
Closet is an upscale restaurant & bar in Zhongxiao Dunhua that we were glad to discover by accident. They’ve got a creative cocktail menu with quality drinks despite some of the crazy combinations (you’ll see what we mean below).
The atmosphere was calm and cozy when we visited on a Saturday evening. Lights were dimmed and candles flickered. There were no tables available so we had to sit at the bar, which we were OK with because we were just dropping in for a nightcap. Though we’d already eaten dinner, some of the smells coming from the kitchen were making us salivate.
The drink menu alone was pretty extensive (see below) so we had a tough time deciding what to order. In the end, we went for cocktails with some wild presentations/ingredients. Here’s what we got:
The Moai Punch ($400) came in a flaming tiki head that the bartender lit just before serving. The flavours were earl grey tea, red wine, green apple, muscat, and grassy. The fruity notes blended nicely, and it had a nice level of sweetness that wasn’t overbearing.
The Bathtub Collins ($350) was served in a mini bathtub coated in a thick layer of foam. It was flavoured with orange, coriander seeds, wood, and lemon. The woody tones really came through, giving this drink a nice contrast to its predecessor.
The American Pie ($400) was our biggest gamble based on the ingredients. We laughed in disbelief as we read them: maple syrup, butter, buffalo cheese, apple pie, and rye. Could it be real? It sounded like a bartender had picked a bunch of mismatched American flavour stereotypes and thrown them together in a drink. We thought there was no way it could possibly be good, but had to order it anyway just to see.
To our miraculous surprise, we were wrong. The drink was GOOD — possibly our favourite one, and certainly the strongest. Somehow all of those flavours balanced each other out to create a seriously tasty cocktail. We mixed it together using the cinnamon stick garnish and sipped it lovingly, chewing on the bits of apple pie that were floating around in the mix. Yes, it sounds strange, but trust us on this one.
There are plenty of other crazy creative cocktails we’d love to try. Check them out in the lengthy food and drink menu:
What’s the vibe?
Upscale restaurant & cocktail bar with dim lighting and a calm atmosphere. Staff were very skilled and professional.
Worth it?
We don’t usually shell out for fancy cocktails, but it’s nice to do once in a while. We really enjoyed all of the drinks we ordered despite some of the crazy combinations. In the end, it was worth going just to tell people about the Apple Pie.
Would you go back?
Since we don’t frequent upscale cocktail bars, we probably wouldn’t go back unless there was some reason to. Having said that, we wouldn’t mind trying out some of their other creative cocktails (to see if they can match up), and we’d also order some of that delicious-smelling food.
Visited: February 2019
| Closet |
| Chinese Name: 衣橱餐酒 |
| Hours: 6pm - 2am |
| Phone: 02 2731 7919 |
| English Address: No. 15, Lane 101, Section 4, Zhongxiao East Road, Da'an District |
| Chinese Address: 大安區忠孝東路四段101巷15號 |
