The Shop (permanently closed)

Address: The Shop NW10, 75 Chamberlayne Road, London, London, NW10 3ND, United Kingdom

The Shop is in, ahem, 'up and coming' Kensal Rise in a parade of shops and has taken over a former wine bar. Why's it called The Shop? Because everything's for sale. All second-hand, like (sorry, 'vintage'). Like the chair that you're sitting on? The lighting? Or the picture on the wall? Everthing's yours for a price. A collection of guest artisans will ensure the collection stays fresh too.

There are just 11 drinks, all with shopping-related names, some creative in-house concoctions cooked up by a former Trailer Happiness bar manager (and rum and tequila dominating), though some are simply classics renamed with a novelty moniker.

It's a simple concept, delivered simply, but you might say it's a little bare, in furniture and in terms of the back-bar, which is practically scant in its choice of spirits though under the pretence of focusing on locally made spirits. Having everything for sale is not a new concept either. Public House in Islington has long sold its furniture and bric-a-brac. At The Shop, the drinks are all served in either jam jars or vintage milk bottles, though we found them practically all on the sweet side and the serves (mostly on crushed ice) a little too similar to each other.

The Shop definitely has some novelty value, but it's not a finessed offering and you shouldn't go with particularly high expectations in mind. Simple honest fun though.