Mr Fogg’s Calligraphy Atelier
If you've ever searched for fun bars in London, you will absolutely have already come across Mr Foggs.
"A collection of adventurous bars transporting you back to the Victorian era" based round Phileas J. Fogg and his expedition around the world. They're theatrical, unique, and dotted all over London. I've been a fan since they first opened in Mayfair, over a decade ago.
Now if you've been keeping up with me over the summer, you'll have seen that one of my favourite new activities is taking some craft or another to the pub with Paige, so this was perfect.
New! Mr Fogg’s Calligraphy Atelier: Every Wednesday - Friday | £39pp: Two-Hour Self-Guided Calligraphy Workshop with a Cocktail, Three Cards to Create & Take-Home Calligraphy Kit.
We arrived to an extremely busy pub on a Fitzrovia backstreet, to find Mr Fogg's botanical tavern. As the story goes, where he would keep careful record and sample of every seed and plant-cutting he’d ever collected on his travels.
The street outside was packed but as we headed up the winding staircase, the high ceilings, big windows and many plants gave it a calm, almost green house feel. We sat at a little table with mismatched armchairs, set up with pens, thick practice papers, and an array of colourful inks. It was a calm haven away from the hustle and bustle but still feeding off the atmosphere and energy downstairs.
We ordered a cocktail, and then, were left to our own devices with an online video tutorial and an excited impatience to get started. That fact that it was self guided was great because it meant we could take our time, relax and practice until we were satisfied that our wonky R's actually look like R's and not S's whilst we caught up on two weeks worth of gossip.
As a Brit, I learnt how to use a fountain pen at school so I assumed it was common knowledge but Paige, having grown up in America, thought it only something they did in Harry Potter (lol). Needless to say, the QR code, which supplied a step by step guide in the form of short videos came in very helpful when we finally took a moment to stop and actually look at them.
That being said, my skills left a lot to be desired. Two left handers, with a couple of cocktails, trying not to make a mess in a dimly lit room was a challenge in itself! Paige got better and better as the night progressed, whilst I started well and went downhill as it got later. That is very classic me.
Regardless, we had lots of fun and headed home, with ink stained fingers, and a sense of accomplishment, having tried something new!
If you're looking for a date night with a twist or a crafty evening catching up with a friend over cocktails, I cannot recommend Mr Fogg’s Calligraphy Atelier enough!
*Kindly gifted experience.
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