On Hackney Road, just down the street from Cambridge Heath station, is MacSmiths. A destination for Mac and Apple users, the store has become a haven for people at their wit’s end trying to fix their devices. They’ve become legendary for their quick turn-around on repair, and ability to solve almost any issue. Oh, and for the secretive cocktail bar that crops up in the back when they stop trading for the day: The Natural Philosopher.
In the shop, a combination of antiques and gadgets fills the walls and space. All around you are Macs and Apple products from as far back as the 70s, including one-offs you’re unlikely to see anywhere but a museum. Stepping through to the bar area reveals the same ‘fill the walls’ aesthetic continuing through. All that to say, it’s a bloody charming little spot.
Naturally, we had to pay a visit:
The bar finds maximalist design taken to the, well, max. Low tables and plush stools are surrounded by overgrown plants that seem to grow out of the brick walls. Trinkets dot the shelves between paintings that look like they belong on the walls of a Victorian-era country manor. The feeling is warm, and the welcome is friendly and genuine. It feels like a fire should be roaring in a hearth at the side of the room, flames lapping at the rug-covered floor.
What are the drinks like, though?
The drinks at The Natural Philosopher are unique blends of “quality spirits, fresh ingredients, and unexpected botanicals sourced from the four corners of the UK”. Owner Josh Powell comes up with a new menu of 12 brand new special cocktails every month, with each drink making use of locally foraged ingredients.
The drinks range from intriguing, such as the Organised Chaos (Vodka, Avocado Leaf, White Penja Pepper Cordial) to warming sippers like the On The Banks, a Rum Manhattan twist with Aged Rum, Cognac, Cynar, Sweet Vermouth, and Chaga Mushroom Tincture, and beyond.
If, for some reason, none of these are quite what you’re after, they’ve also got a selection of classic cocktails to choose from. These include the likes of the Penicillin, Paper Plane, Gibson Martini, and more.
When you visit, be sure you check out the bar’s dedicated Pickleback menu. The team reckons they’re “the best in London (maybe even the world!)” – and they sure are damn tasty. Heck, they’ve even won an award for them!
They’ve got a Traditional option, with Bourbon & Dill Pickle Brine, as well as creative takes like the Seoul Pickleback (Soju & Kimchi Brine), and the Bolivia Pickleback (Singani63 & Yuzu Champagne Brine). They also do a rotating monthly special for even more experimental flavours. Cheers to that!
Happy Hour deals
Be sure not to miss out on the impressive happy hour deal. The bar offers a selection of their elevated classic cocktails at a steal of a price: just £16 for 2. These include the Coconut Negroni, Coffee Old-Fashioned, Ancho Chilli Paloma, and more. Oh, and the happy hour deal is available every day, from 6-8pm. That’s right – even on the weekends!
Psst… Want a free drink? If you sign up for their newsletter you’ll get a drink on the house. And they’ll also send another free drink your way in the weeks around your birthday. Not bad, eh?!
On your way out, be sure to pull the lever on the Poem-O-Graph machine. It claims to be an “automated sentence constructor, subconscious thought configurator, and non-demonstrative effusivator“. It seems to favour spiritual and AI-sentience-influenced three-word phrases, or, indeed, poems. On my visit, the device read “I worship God”. A machine purporting to be spiritual; it’s a fitting complement to a fantastic cocktail bar hidden away inside a repair shop.