Looking for the best in cocktails in PE?
Fushin Champagne and Tapas Bar
Cocktails in the suburbs in Nelson Mandela Bay? You bet. Eateries and child-friendly fast food outlets abound in shopping malls but when it comes to adult thirst quenchers, it’s usually slim pickings (and slukkings). Not so at the Baywest Mall – the newest in the Bay – where a short trip up an escalator will take you to the Fushin Champagne and Tapas Bar. A wrap-around affair with chopstick table settings and traditional seating sets the scene for a mall outing cocktail like an out of this world Champagne Supanova which will help you find a perfect outer space as you sip it and relax while urgent shoppers shoot you envious stares. Whiskey (and whisky) from around the globe also abound. A perfect oasis when the mall madness gets to you and a superb cocktail concoction is the only antidote.
The Verandah, Beach Hotel
Cocktails are meant to be enjoyed with a good dash – or healthy splash – of a view, and they don’t come in more of a calming and stretch-out-the-legs format as spring sundowners on The Verandah of the Beach Hotel in Marine Drive. Here you will find an array of reasonably priced, cool and colourful refreshments that include a traditional classic like an alluring Strawberry Daiquiri or the terrific thirst quencher of a Mojito with mint, white rum, lime and crushed ice, which always hits the spot on a warm day. There are a list of other choices that can be enjoyed on the verandah which boasts a modern take on Port Elizabeth’s old world beachfront charm with its awesome view of Hobie Beach activities and, in good weather, the enticingly lazy breakers of Algoa Bay.
Finnezz, Humerail
Well, you may not be quite an A-lister in the Bay (or even if you are), you can’t help but feel like one when you wander into this hip and happening bistro and cocktail bar and lounge which has a sweeping view of a bustling Port Elizabeth harbour and way beyond. It’s a snazzy ambience to be sure – and ideal if you’re planning some sophisticated sluks with friends. An extensive cocktail menu leaves you spoilt for choice and offerings like a Purple Punch will not only add an inner glow, but brighten up the party no end with its vibrant presentation. The meticulous attention to detail by your cocktail creator is also a barometer of how seriously they take your enjoyment.
News Café, Boardwalk
How is this for a name that strikes you like a bonus Star Wars episode: a Pangalactic Gargle Blaster. Either that, or you’ve just been introduced to the best mouthwash on the planet. Subscribing fully to a Rainbow Nation credo, this swirling fountain of colour is just one of a galaxy of cocktails that you can sample at News Café at the Boardwalk – a franchise which has earned a reputation for its evocative catalogue of exotically named cocktails that demand your attention (and your tastebuds). Peruse the menu (the Gargle Blaster is highly recommended) while you do some discreet people-watching at this chatty and laid-back corner of PE’s prime entertainment complex.
Where & What:
Fushin Champagne & Tapas Bar
041 492 0357
The Verandah, Beach Hotel
041 583 2161
reservations@pehg.co.za
Finnezz, Humerail
041 586 3233
News Café Boardwalk
041 583 6660
Words: Brett Adkins
Images: Supplied
