Drink Lagos: 788 on the Sea
I wonder how long it’ll take 788 to realise that Lagos is filled with more poor people than the filthy rich. I mean, I get it. The space is way too ambitious and frankly too big to just be a ‘fine-dinning’ restaurant. This is where you’d want your 30th birthday dinner because you couldn’t afford a yacht to sail the Caribbean or a wedding reception location for Lagos’ bougie newly-weds. However, if you have a top secret to share with anyone maybe this isn’t a bad spot because we were essentially the only ones from the beginning to the end of our visit.
Despite being the only guests, it took over twenty minutes for our drinks to come. We had an interesting waiter who gave off the normal impatient and unbothered vibe, I know you’re wondering how you can combine both. But hey, welcome to Lagos!
I ordered myself a Sea Wave for very obvious reasons, and it had Hennessey, strawberry and cranberry juice, so basically a henny-berry.
The Sea Wave
I really liked as it swayed between mildly sweet; strawberries are not your sweetest berries and have a bit of a ting, as well as sour and often bitter notes from the cranberry. The Hennessey bloody bodied this! And that’s that on that!
Folarin ordered his most favourite cocktail, an Old Fashioned with the usual whisky, angostura bitters and brown sugar. It came in a short fancy tumbler like the ones Don Draper and Roger Sterling would share on every episode of Mad Men. (I apologise if I make a lot of Mad Men references, it’s the best TV show for a reason)
“The old fashioned was nothing like that of RSVP, it didn’t have the citrusy zesty tang and was way stronger than I had expected and it seemed like they attempted to use lots of brown sugar to make it bearable. It also didn’t come with that big spherical ice that I’ve gotten used to at RSVP, however the gourmet ice was nice to swirl with my straw.”
L-R; Sea Wave and Old fashioned
However, I really liked the cocktail. The whisky was really stellar in this recipe as it highlighted the amazing notes that make the Old fashioned a pop culture favourite. I liked how the simple ingredients – brown sugar and angostura bitters showcased the cocktail’s exceptional features. I also loved that it came in a short concentrated glass. It was grown-up and bold in a really fun way.
Mango daiquiri
I went on to order the Mango Daiquiri with white rum and grenadine blended with mango syrup, lime juice and sugar. And let’s just say this isn’t what you should have on a late evening after a serious rainfall no matter how much the view deludes you to think you’re on a beach. The daiquiri came in a huge glass. I liked it initially but after a few scoops with my straw (real talent btw) it soon became tedious. The syrupiness shook me in a nauseous way, and it didn’t take too long before the high I got from my first cocktail disappeared into thin air. Really tragic!
A 788 mojito
Folarin ordered the 788, which was Southern Comfort, pineapple syrup, fresh mint leaves, brown sugar and lime. Southern Comfort is an American whisky made with fruit and spice, and according to The Thirsty Traveler , Martin Wilkes Heron, will begin with good-quality bourbon and add a quarter of a lemon, half of a cinnamon stick, four cloves, a few cherries, and an orange bit or two. After soaking for days, and almost ready for drinking, it will now be topped up with a sweetener like honey – Heron’s favourite. However, I’m not sure how all of this came together in this cocktail. It tasted like an okay mojito but maybe this indifference is because Folarin had let it sit for a while.
“The 788 wasn’t memorable at all. Felt like those wedding cocktails mixed with whatever was left. For the classy restaurant that they are, 788 don’t seem to be as big on cocktails as they should.”
And maybe that’s a serious offense as they’re obviously by the sea for a reason.
Generally, I liked my drinks but there is certainly room for improvement, especially for that N4000 mango-syrup daiquiri.
TL:DR
Good for: Date night, a grand event, Dinner and Drinks
Food: Full Kitchen
Happy Hour: No | Bottle Service: Yes | Wine: Yes | Beer: Yes
DAMAGE
Sea wave - N3500
Old fashioned - N3500
Mango daiquiri - N4000
788 - N3500
