The Absent Ear

A Vincent Van-Gough inspired cocktail bar, the Absent Ear has been designed as a speakeasy establishment, meaning its location is only revealed upon booking. Enthralled by the online hype over this new bar, I gathered my group of only too willing sidekicks and off we went to Merchant City. Unsure of whether we had arrived at the correct location, we ventured down the stairs of a hidden entrance and reached a dimly lit antechamber with a Vincent Van-Gough portrait on one side and an imposing heavy wooden door adjacent to it. Tentatively pressing a bell on the portrait’s ear caused a small hatch to be slid open, forcibly breaking the eerie silence that ensued. The rough unfriendly silhouette of a man’s face was revealed, and he gruffly asked what we wanted. Quickly exchanging looks of nervous excitement, we muttered the code ‘we are here to see Madam Rachel’ to which the man, without saying a word, slammed the hatch closed again. Pondering whether we had correctly answered his question, we were left momentarily in the darkness. Before long, the sound of a series of deadbolts being unlocked interrupted our thoughts and the door swung open.

The bar is in a cosy underground room, unlit aside from a strong red light that casts everything with an atmospheric glow. The décor is a mix of arty and contemporary, with nods to the late Van Gough spread throughout the space. In contrast to the trepidation we had felt before, our server was welcoming, guiding us through a range of unique and customisable drinks on the menu after showing us to our table. The menu, rotating regularly, is full of a mix of unique twists on classic cocktails as well as fresh and daring drinks. We ordered an assortment of drinks which arrived in a matter of minutes. Their presentation was intriguing and unlike anything I had seen before. Highlights included a dainty and luxurious glass of gin flavoured with peach, lime and honey which was cooled by a sphere of delicious peach sorbet. It was served alongside a teaspoon of popping candy, which was to be enjoyed whilst simultaneously taking sips of the drink. The resulting taste was exceptional and vastly different to anything I could have anticipated. The rest of the drinks were just as interesting, giving us plenty to discuss over the course of a few rounds.

I greatly enjoyed my experience at the Absent Ear and would not hesitate to recommend it to anybody looking for an excellent cocktail evening. It is a semi-formal bar, and the drinks are expensive, so it is best suited to a special event like a nice date or a birthday. Or, if you’re like me, maybe you just like drinking fancy drinks on a weekday – the Absent Ear is also a perfectly acceptable bar choice for this.