Farquhar's Bar in E&O Hotel is a classy colonial bar.
A contrast to the bright hallways of the E&O Hotel is Farquhar’s bar, which is decorated in a more authentic old-school English-style. The dimmed lights put us in reassuring mood that having a cocktail or two is acceptable even before our candlelight dinner at the Eastern & Oriental hotel started. However, we believe that this is the place where sports enthusiasts gather to watch a game when they are away from home.
But there are some of us, who are slightly nostalgic and come here simply to enjoy the character of the old times. The dark wooden interior is perfect for a gentleman’s club, all made from hardwood, including the open bar. The outside area is completely different, full of plants and providing an ocean and pool view. – drinks are even served there, in the pool area.
Both sides of Farquhar’s bar are to our liking, that is why we divided our time in this bar and first enjoyed our drinks inside and then moved outside.
Besides the well-known cocktails, they have also a few signature ones. Two are made in honor of Robert Townsend Farquhar, the Lieutenant-Governor after whom the bar is named. He earned the honor with a pursuit to improve roads, water supply and fortification of this town.
The honorable mentions are an excellent reminder that people with a vision made the foundations for future development. Naming a cocktail or a street, for example, is a nice way to tease curious ones as to why he or she deserved that honor. I can only imagine how good is to have a good Governor, who is trying to improve the resident’s lives.
The choice of drinks is diverse and ranges from wines to spirits, bubbly, cocktails, virgin refreshments and much more. Despite all the options, my choice was Farquhar’s cocktail. The base for the cocktail was vodka and Triple Sec, and then nutmeg, orange juice and cream were added. The cream made the alcohol less obvious but the nutmeg and orange were easy to taste.
Ian’s choice was the Glenlivet 15 years old, single malt Scotch Whisky. This scotch is very nice on the nose with fruity notes and sweet spice along with some almonds. To the taste, it is easy to find raisins and some winter spices like cinnamon and cloves. In the first place, he liked the dry, slightly minty finish with remaining on oak.
The offering at this bar doesn’t stop at drinks. The finger food is also perfect for the intense match when you are nervous, and some comfort food is a much tastier option than biting off your nails. If your appetite rises, they have also à la carte menu, where you can satisfy rising hunger.
Our bellies were still full of the amazingly delicious afternoon tea at restaurant 1825, so we enjoyed “just” the drinks and the atmosphere. We had a lovely time there, the staff was very kind and willing to exchange a few words. Indeed, we loved looking through the window towards the sea, where is a nice contrast to the darker inside. In our opinion, this is exactly the kind of bar that every heritage hotel should have.
Cocktails here are about 10 USD and you have a happy hour from 6 pm to 7 pm, when the price is half off. It is not hard to find E&O Hotel, but here is the link to a location anyway.
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