A new bar and restaurant has opened in our town this week… and it has a cocktail menu!

We went for lunch today – pizzas were on the menu – and despite a few minor service issues we really enjoyed it. (Food and venue review can be found on All The Threes.)

The cocktail menu is a good range of well-known drinks – martinis, fruit daiquiris and classics such as a Tequila Sunrise, Bramble, Mojito, Manhattan and Negroni.

I chose a Peach Daiquiri and a Cosmopolitan, and Tony went for a Tequila Sunrise.

The Peach Daiquiri was very fruity and so easy to drink! It almost didn’t taste alcoholic so go steady! I enjoyed it, but I don’t think I’d choose it again. My favourite Daiquiri is the classic rum, lime and sugar syrup and I rarely add much syrup, so I think the fruit in this one made it too sweet for me.

The Cosmo was very good – crisp, clean and well-balanced, certainly one of the better Cosmopolitans I’ve had in a bar as it wasn’t too heavy on the cranberry. I’d happily order this again!

I forgot to get a photo of Tony’s Tequila Sunrise – while it tasted great (the tequila was delicious!), the definition in the sunrise layer wasn’t so good – I think it had been stirred as there was no straw or stirrer served with it.

Garnish on all was simple, it could perhaps be improved upon, however I know garnish is a pain and can be wasteful at times!

It’d be good to see some Dovetail signature cocktails – something a little different, either their own recipes or something more extravagant using some speciality ingredients – but overall I like that the menu carries so many classic favourites that everyone can recognise as all too often cocktail bars can go a bit too bonkers!

All cocktails are priced at £9.50.

The Dovetail also have an excellent selection of spirits, bottled beers, soft drinks and mixers, as well as a good wine list featuring Nyetimber English Sparkling Wine.

Sadly since writing this review The Dovetail has closed.