Slowly sipping Veuve Clicquot Rich Rosé paired with cod croquettes on a terrace inspired by Southern France in the center of London, what could be better?
On a very sunny evening although not without sudden random showers, my friend and I attended a Rose Veuve Cliquot launch party at the brand new Rose Terrace at Green Bar, London Hotel Café Royal.
The Rose Terrace is set on a pedestrian road just a stone throw away from the Piccadilly Circus.
The outside terrace provides a tranquil escape away from the buzzing London red bus magnet buying ambience. And it has solid marquee covers too for the unexpected shower rains, which saved our styled hair during the launch.
The Rose Terrace features a special menu with food pairings with Veuve Cliquot but only until the end of September. Our favourite was the cod croquette, a lovely ‘meaty’ texture inside, mild cod notes and a crisp coating on the outside.
There was also a chicken bonbon served with Sriracha mayo for those preferring something on the spicier side. As I have zero spice tolerance I left out the sauce, but nibbled on the bonbons. They were too good to miss.
There were also rather delicious Vietnamese vegan rolls, a little tricky to tackle with the veggies trying to escape, but definitely worth the etiquette struggle.
We also sampled Provence Fizz, which is Veuve Clicquot Rich Rosé, elderflower liqueur, grapefruit juice, Peychaud bitter & lime watermelon syrup.
The grapefruit was a good touch adding a refreshing summer feeling. I cannot say I tasted much of the watermelon in the Provence Fizz but nevertheless I enjoyed it and would order it again for sure.
Second on our sampling list was Doux Ange – Eminente Reserva Rum, Whispering Angel Rosé, lychee liqueur, coconut and egg white.
I’ll be honest when I saw rum, Rose, coconut and egg white in Doux Ange ingredients list I was not sure what to expect of it, but somehow they work in harmony. Rum adds a different touch; it is a little bit like pisco sour with a good rum kick, but without the sourness of Pisco Sour and rounded up with a smooth whipped egg froth.
We also sampled mini beef sliders. The patty was juicy and plump, but I think the chef was a tad overenthusiastic with grilling the bun, making it a little dry for our liking.
The cocktails and food pairing were set in an outside Rose terrace by Veuve Clicqout, which is the first Rose Terrace in the UK.
In case you didn’t know Veuve Clicqout vineyard dates back all the way to 1772. In fact it is celebrating its 250th anniversary this year. Hence perhaps the Rose Terrace opening?
The Veuve Clicqout vineyard is located in Reims. The vineyard covers 382 hectares spread over 12 of the 17 Grand Crus and 18 of the 39 Premiers Crus. Grand Cru is a term commonly used in French wines to refer to the quality of a particular wine region (terroir) or the vineyard in which the grapes are grown.
The Rose Terrace itself is inspired by southern France with flowers along the sitting area, a flower arcade and retro bike with a flower basket by the entrance. I think a French spot would not be complete without a bicycle, right?
The Rose Terrace is open to guests from Tuesday to Friday from 4:00PM to 10:00PM and Saturdays from 12:00PM to 10:00PM.
The wine list features a good selection of Roses by Veuve Clicquot such as: Veuve Clicquot Rosé, Rich Rosé, La Grande Dame Rosé and Vintage Rosé.
As well as just two exclusive bottles of the legendary 1989 Veuve Clicquot Vintage Rosé, reputed to be the greatest vintage since the extraordinary one of 1978.
The list also includes wines from Chateau d’Esclans (Whispering Angel) and Ruinart Rose. And summery cocktails: Framboise, with raspberry sorbet; the Etre Fada, with lemon verbena infused gin and bergamot liqueur.
And the Cezanne, with Volcan tequila, Cointreau and watermelon, not to mention our earlier sampled Doux Ange and Provence Fizz.
However, there is only so much one can try in one evening without turning too merry and attempting to cycle away on the bike with the flower basket.
Foodepedia will be back there before the summer ends to try the rest of the Rose Terrace cocktails. Or me alone for sure whether it is for a friends’ catch up seeking an elegant setting away from Piccadilly crowds, or for one of my first dates to test how well my date knows champagne varieties.