Being a devoted fan of Mother Mercy, I was keen to try its new sister venue, Café Mercy.
The Cocktail & Spritz Café sits at the heart of Newcastle’s Grey Street and brings its own enticing brand of cocktails and spritz. Modelled on a chic European café bar, Café Mercy offers an escape from city centre life with small plates and a pumping atmosphere.
I pitched up to review the experience.
Whereas Mother Mercy is dimly lit and intimate, Café Mercy is a riot of colour. Bathed in shades of coral pink, the bar evokes a modern Mediterranean setting with rattan furnishings and white marble tables completing a supremely stylish look. And, if interiors are really your thing, there’s even a hot pink neon corridor down to the toilets.
But, what of the cocktails? Café Mercy’s menu is split into three different sections: ‘Spritz & Fizz’, Café Cocktails and Mother Mercy favourites. With a taste for the former, we kicked off with a brace of Aperol Spritz, spun up fantastically with Aperol, prosecco and Franklin & Son’s soda and singing with fresh orange zest.
Following on, we bagged a couple of Martini’s. Gin for me garnished with an olive and a ‘Vesper’ for my pal – a real tour de force mixed with gin, vodka and vermouth.
We rounded off proceedings with an Old Fashioned. Café Mercy specialises in a praline version featuring Four Roses Bourbon, Amontillado, maple, pecan praline and coffee. This was done superbly well in addition to a classic Old Fashioned made for Woodford Reserve.
For those seeking a bit of ballast, Café Mercy also serves a selection of small plates perfect for snacking on alongside some quality cocktails.
Café Mercy slots seamlessly into the fabric of the city and is sure to be a real hit in addition to their other venues in the Cloth Market and Fenwick Newcastle.
Perfect for date nights, after-work drinks or a pre-theatre snifter.
For more information, visit www.cafemercy.co.uk