Last week, we took another whirlwind venture ‘down the rabbit hole’ with quirky wine label Down The Rabbit Hole (DTHR) and, this time, the renowned pop-up cellar door was themed GYPSY!
Upon arriving at the historical Queen’s Theatre tucked away in Playhouse Lane, we were met with the oh-so familiar ‘rabbit hole’ set-up, complete with a dapper doorman to welcome us and a curtained entrance concealing the magic that lay behind. “Come inside, come inside, watch your step as you make your way down the rabbit hole!”, the doorman exclaims, pulling across the curtains to reveal a stunning, fairylit dreamscape of all our gypsy desires.
Inside DTHR’s Gypsyland
Two costumed ladies greeted us as we stepped inside, both of which were dressed to the nines in spangly jewellery, flower-crowns and headscarves. The entire space seemed to exude a distinct bohemian vibe, fit out with leafy vines hanging from glowing yellow Edison lightbulbs, tapestry-woven Kilim carpets and tasseled pillow seating. The common dress theme bore a lot of long, flowing skirts, nose jewellery, paisley print, crochet clothing and generally bohemian-chic styling, making the whole experience that more memorable.
Gypsy doorgirls
Our first tasting of the night was a sloe-gin based cocktail, coloured a deep pink-red and garnished using mixed berries and a rosemary sprig. We pretty much devoured the deliciously berry-fused concoction before moving onto our next edibles acquired from pop-up food stall, Mullygrub catering.
Ahhh sweet, sweet nectar
Roast Duck L’Orange and Porcini Mushroom Aranchini were our dishes of choice, and there were certainly no regrets there. Everyone loves a good aranchini ball, especially when porcini mushrooms are involved, and Mullygrub had cooked this classic street-food dish to a flawlessly crunchy perfection.
The duck was certainly our highlight of the night, combining warm, roasted duck breast with a zingy side of sliced citrus orange. Topped with walnuts and coriander, the duck dish was a scrumptious balance of sweet and savoury and finished off nicely with a somewhat velvety texture to melt in the mouth.
Duck L’Orange
Porcini Mushroom Aranchini Balls
Around the corner of the main room, a large space was reserved for tasting Down The Rabbit Hole’s selection of wines. The area was sectioned off with draping curtains and housed a couple small caravans and mini vans as seating areas, catering for a more secluded wine down with friends or, perhaps, a loved one. DTRH supplied their newest wine for a tasting – the 2015 Sangiovese Cabernet – alongside a range of other options which, to our misfortune, we did not get the chance to sample as the tastings cut off at 9PM.
The wine tasting station!
One of the cosy tents at DTHR Gypsylannd
Towards the end of our night, we sat down with a drink in hand and relaxed to the sound of live acoustics underneath a stretched out tent. It was impossible to escape the good vibes pumping throughout the atmosphere inside Down The Rabbit Hole’s Gypsyland pop-up (despite missing our wine tasting!!). Gypsyland would have to have been one our favourites so far… we certainly can’t wait to see what DTHR come up with next.
