Last week Friday the pop-up Martell Cognac 1715 bar opened at the Sandton Eye, and This Tuesday More than Food was invited to attend their first paired cognac lunch, prepared by Caro de Waal and Vicky Crease.

The 1715 bar Venue and Ambience

 

The 1715 bar is everything you have come to associate with Martell, cognac and more. It is brand identity meets interior design incarnate. Walking in you are bathed in a warm coppery luminescence, accentuated with dark leathers, natural woods and navy. If you have images of cigar clouded parlour rooms, and velvet smoking jackets then you would not be far off. The 1715 bar evokes all these images, and perhaps if you venture upstairs to the smoking section you may actually get that, but this is 21st century Africa and that is all a bit dated and colonial. So while the 1715 bar evokes the classic cognac imagery it is so much more. The upstairs smoking room has a gorgeous view of Sandton and the downstairs section is thankfully free of pea soup thick cigar smoke.

Lunch by Caro and Vicky

 

as a mere feat of interior design and styling, the 1715 bar is too slick for my liking. If feels lacquered and more than a little like just some place for the 1% to stand around and be seen. What has made the real difference is the food experience that forms part of the experience.

Part of the experience is a three-course lunch paired with the Martell Cognac range. Guests are able to indulge in delicious food perfectly paired with two of Martell’s elegant variants – Caractere and Noblige, a bespoke Martell Cognac cocktail and, learn more about the mastery of Martell Cognac itself.

The paired luncheons are open to the public and take place every Wednesday and Friday from 12:30 to 15:30 between 21 October and 21 November. Menus change every two weeks and reservation in advance is required.

Expect to see and taste edible flowers, gold dust and gold leaf; aromatic burners and edible fragrances; misty essences and freshly roasted nuts alongside dishes rich in texture, colour and flavour. It really is a full on sensual experience. What I have to praise most highly though is Caro and Vicky’s respect and homage to local ingredients. Wild foraged rosemary made an appearance, as well as something called a num num. I could write an entire piece on this little berry I was so enamoured of it.

“Playing with the flavour profiles in Martell Cognac has been a wonderful treat for me. It has so much to offer in its silky, smooth and beautiful nuances – an elegant carnival for the senses.” — Caro de Waal

 

Highly acclaimed Johannesburg chef Vicky Crease, who will bring the menus to life, says that creating a culinary experience for Martell Cognac in collaboration with Caro de Waal is “a dream come true” for her and her team. “We have the same philosophies on luxury, style and innovation as well as the overall dining sophistication that we want to offer guests of the 1715 bar by Martell Cognac.”

Topping it off with a nightcap.

 

We were finally treated to a taste of one of Martell’s top Cognacs. The L’Or de Jean Martell. some of the Eau de vies in this cognac are over 100 years old. Encased in a hand crafted crystal bottle it really is something. It is a robust cognac with heavy aromas and flavours of plum. There is absolutely no volatile alcohol burn, just a lingering velvet finish. While not officially available in South Africa I m sure if you make yourself a bit of  a patron of the 1715 bar, if you know what I mean, plans can be made for you.

Alternatively you can just order the world’s most expensive cocktail. It’ll only set you back a cool million. This one-of-a-kind cocktail is crafted with rare ingredients; L’Or de Jean Martell  a unique cigar-infused syrup; the secret Millionaire’s Mix; and, topped up with luxury champagne,  Perrier-Jouët Belle Époque. You’ll start by sipping this cocktail at the 1715 bar, and end in a French Chateau…. literally Part of the experience is exclusive access to a chateau on the Martell estates in France. While still not exactly bang for your buck if you’ve got the cash it should definitely be an experience to remember. If you don’t have that kind of money to spend on a round of drinks any one of the other 30 hand crafted especially bespoke for the 1715 bar will suit you just fine. I can highly recommend the Voyager, and the Versailles. My best though was one with lemongrass syrup and a Fabri Cherry but I forget its name, but be on the lookout for it on the menu.

The entire Martell experience was actually pretty magic. I am generally really skeptical of PR arranged wine and dine experiences, but the Team behind the 1715 bar pop up have really pulled out all the stops and if the average customer’s experience is anything approaching what they treated us to then it will well worth a visit to the bar. Whether for lunch, or an after work drink, every little detail is there to make you feel special and one of a kind.

Find out more about 1715 by Martell Cognac at www.1715.co.za or follow @MartellCognacSA on Twitter and Instagram. To reserve your place at this unique experience, visit www.1715.co.za.

 

Photos by Alex and supplied.

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