A new bar and roof terrace awaits at a dining delight
A stalwart of the Cambridge dining scene for many years, d’Arry’s is under new management and has been given a new lease of life in recent weeks. Now, in addition to its courtyard, private dining room and restaurant, they’ve opened the Liqour Loft: a rather cool upstairs bar and roof terrace.
The story of the Liqour Loft began back in 2008, when a fire ripped through d’Arry’s, prompting a major refurbishment. When renovating the space, they unearthed an intriguing space upstairs, filled with history. Among the discoveries was original brewing equipment from the George Scales Brewery – which inhabited the King Street spot as far back as 1866.
Working around the unique original features, which include the mash tun and pot still, they have created a stylish 80-capacity bar area, complete with al fresco seating area for drinks and dining.
Pull up a quirky bar stool at the ludicrously well-stocked bar, or cosy up in the fur blanket and colourful cushion-lined nooks. Then survey the drinks menu, which is where the Liqour Loft really sets itself apart from the crowd. The
range of spirits is huge, and features lots of weird and wonderful flavours and offerings from boutique distilleries. There are more than 20 gins to choose between, plus Japanese whiskies and home-spiced rums, as well as craft beers and great wines to sample. The cocktail list is killer too, and includes various barrel-aged concoctions like the orange infused espresso Martini and the caramel and ginger Godfather.
We love the look of the modern British menu too, which is divided into a series of flavour profiles. Choose between bitter (think beer steamed mussels with bacon), salty (like goat’s cheese flatbread with spinach and sundried tomatoes) and sweet dishes including sweet chilli tempura prawns. There’s also umami, which includes octopus stew, and sour, where you’ll find things like paprika and cornflour-dusted whitebait with wasabi lime mayo.
The Liqour Loft will also be hosting regular jazz performances and open mic nights, so keep an eye on the website for more details.
