Basement Sate says:

Basement Sate is a new cocktail and dessert bar offering beautifully made desserts, expertly prepared cocktails and cutting edge DJs in a sleek yet intimate venue. Situated in the heart of Soho on Broadwick Street, Basement Sate provides Londoners with their first devoted late night drinking and dessert destination. Whether finishing an evening after dinner, or specifically visiting for cocktails and something sweet, Basement Sate satisfies London’s need for a new gastronomic trend.

Social and Cocktail say:

‘Shall we go out for dessert?’

These are the words generally spoken by some trendy New Yorkers, usually in a rom-com where they will then accidentally bump into the future love of their life. The habit of finding a spot specifically to indulge your chocolate craving is something we’ve come to associate with our crazy American cousins, or perhaps those decadent Parisians.

But going out for sweet stuff is actually now a trend that is finding its footing in London, and for good reason. With sugary treats coming to the forefront of people’s minds (look at Bake Off and the overwhelming penchant for cupcakes in recent years) then why should it be relegated to an end-of-the-menu decision? Surely some of the most beautiful creations can come from sugar weaving, fruit arrangement and carefully applied chocolate drops?

And what is equally as enjoyable and luxurious as dessert? Cocktails, of course.

This is where Basement Sate has found a niche and filled it to perfection. Everything about this stylish bar, hidden down a shadowy staircase in Brewer Street, Soho, just purrs with indulgence. From the low lighting to the leather booths and impressive wooden panelling behind the bar, it’s as chic as Marion Cotillard wearing a Givenchy evening gown, accompanied by Brad Pitt in Gucci. Yes, this is a late night drinking den for those with discerning tastes.

So on to those cocktails and the actual desserts on offer. It’s a concise and precise list – twelve libations and seven dishes to choose from. The drinks have some interesting flavour combinations that actually work wonderfully – celery is married with sage agave and rum in a cocktail called ‘Leaf’ which does have a fabulous herbaceous kick, while the Arboriculturist is a short and snappy offering of calvados, cinnamon and pear syrup with a hint of sweet sherry. The pear is the winner in this drink, complemented deliciously by the cinnamon, and the whole thing has a warming appeal. For those wanting something along the whisky lines then we can recommend nothing better than the Salty Granny – it also includes wakame infused vermouth and granny smith syrup – and the El Pampa is a gorgeous mix of pisco, almond and champagne syrup with a splash of apple.

Of course, you could choose to go sweet with your drink – Patrick the Wombat has tequila, vanilla syrup and ginger beer, while the L’Entree Des Artistes is heaven in a glass, combining coffee infused rum, milk, sherry and salted caramel.

But you don’t have to simply drink your sugar intake – there are a host of completely amazing desserts on offer to tempt you too. The Vacherin is feather-light lime meringue and zingy strawberry sorbet combined with a refreshing note of basil cream, and looks almost like a piece of abstract art. For chocolate lovers, then you can do no better than the Chocolatine, which basically pimps out cocoa in all its forms, from mousse, foam, cake and crunch. Our favourite was the Mille Feuille Fromage and Truffle – a n accomplished layering of filo pastry, truffled cream cheese and nut pesto. Delectable.

In fact, that is the word to describe Basement Sate. It’s a heady combination of indulgence – a feast for the eyes and the taste buds. Whether you’re in the mood for a sugar kick, or have finished dinner and want to find somewhere to round off the evening, then we take our caps off to Basement Sate – a dessert bar that’s so good it’s wicked.

Rebecca Milford