Drinks at The Clink

There are a few things that make The Clink Restaurant stand out. The first thing is the food: it’s one of the best fine dining venues for miles around. The second thing is where it is: it’s right by the front gate of HMP Cardiff and is staffed by people serving sentences there, or at nearby prisons, or in the community. And thirdly, there’s no alcohol.

That third fact has surprised a few people over the years. I recently heard someone tell of a big party of French rugby fans – in town for an important Six Nations game – asking for the wine list at The Clink. I imagine they were a little taken aback at the total absence of any such list. But, like most Clink diners, they weren’t disappointed by what was on offer instead. That’s one of the funny things about visiting an alcohol-free venue: it can feel like missing out on something. Unless, of course, there’s something even better on offer. And the drinks offer at The Clink is exceptional.

The drinks menu is extensive. There’s all the usual teas and coffees and soft drinks, but it’s the cocktails that everyone talks about. The restaurant has recently been moving away from pre-packaged drinks, and even the cocktail syrups are made from raw ingredients onsite. As any chef will tell you, there’s no substitute for fresh ingredients in food, and the same is true of drinks. Here, we’ve reviewed just a few of the freshly prepared treats we sampled when we visited.

You might think there’s not much you can do with lemonade – it’s a nice drink but nothing to write home about, right? Wrong. Most lemonade doesn’t taste much like lemons, but this one is packed with fresh lemons and limes. It’s sharp and refreshing, although the bartender told us that they can add more sugar if you’d like it. He also told us that it was his personal favourite, and we can see why.

The original Garden of Eden was, allegedly, home to “every tree that is good for food”. It’s not a bad name for this delightfully refreshing drink with a mix of botanical flavours. It starts with citrusy Dry Dragon kombucha, then there’s elderflower and mint, and a shot of Seedlip Garden, which adds a hint of peas and a bit more mint. As usual at The Clink, the presentation is perfect, with a long swirl of cucumber wrapped inside the glass. It’s a nice touch that really completes the drink.

This drink is one of a couple of tea-based cocktails on offer at The Clink. A blend of teas from the Manchester-based Worker Bee company – that specialises in Fair Trade teas and coffees – is mixed with apple, cinnamon, and marmalade, and the whole thing is served with a cute slice of apple on the rim of the glass, which makes it just a little bit more special.

This is the only drink we sampled that wasn’t made from scratch at the bar, but we think it deserves a mention. It’s produced by the Longbottom food and drink company, which also sells HMP Sauce – a spicy, tasty, all-natural brown sauce made in the kitchens at HMP High Down in Surrey. Their Virgin Mary is similarly nice and spicy, and it’s suitable for vegans and vegetarians, which is good news for anyone who normally avoids Worcester Sauce on account of the fish in it. Our Longbottom Virgin Mary at The Clink was served over ice with a stick of celery, for a really satisfying Bloody Mary alternative.

Without a doubt, this drink was the star of the show – in our opinion, at least. It’s a carnival of flavours, blended but still distinct – rich, dark fruit, light ginger ale, and beautifully fresh garden mint – all served over ice with a little sprig of mint on top. It’s spectacular.

That’s just five of the many drinks you might want to try at The Clink. It’s certainly not a cheap place to eat out: it’s somewhere you might go for a special occasion, and the prices reflect the quality of the food and the drinks. It’s also providing training and experience for dozens of people who are working hard to turn their lives around. The Clink’s aim is to “change attitudes, transform lives, and create second chances”. What’s not to like?

You can book a table at The Clink in Cardiff here and also find details of their restaurants at prisons in London, Surrey and Cheshire.