We visited Virginia House purely for the gin bar; it's got quite a reputation with the other half's family, so we simply had to give it a go on my recent visit. The large townhouse building is quite unassuming from the street - only the menu board outside really signals that there's anything going on inside - so it was nice to escape from the crowds of 'Another Fine Fest', a festival dedicated to Stan Laurel.
Now, here's where I have to admit that I'm not a seasoned gin drinker. It used to be a drink of choice when mixed with 50p pop during university for the ease of pre-drinking, but it's not quite made its way into my more recent drinking habits. I can appreciate the appeal of a gin & tonic, but at the moment it's always going to be beer or wine for me!
With this in mind, the menu is really quite daunting. There's an amazing selection of gins and matched tonics, with some exciting sounding combinations such as rhubarb gin, ginger gin and ginger ale, but the text is far too cramped and I found it hard to focus. I ended up with prosecco (sorry!) but it still came in a lovely glass so I didn't feel too left out.
There's a small garden area out the back for anyone looking for a more al fresco experience but the interior is fairly lush with deep crimson colour and velvet seat covers. However, the seating arrangements are a bit odd - the room is quite long - and there weren't any stools out, so we were limited to only sitting around the edge of the room. It's not a deal breaker but did make us feel a bit out of place!
If you're in the area and looking for a little bit of a luxurious drink, I'd recommend Virginia House, especially if you're with a gin lover. Otherwise you might be better off at the town's wine bar... read more