Taste Buds Cocktail Palace

Review

A new opening from Starling's Daniel An, with Gary Zhao, formerly restaurant manager at the Shangri-La's 1515, Taste Buds sits, rather randomly, on the first floor of an apartment block. The Qing dynasty meets Louis XVI in the bling bling décor: expect tonnes of gilt and lacquer, purple, scarlet and blue velvet, lion heads and bird cages.

The menu is a good mix of own creations, classics and modern classics - the Bramble, Sidecar and Paper Plane all feature - if occasionally a little over the top. The Tale of Mulata is a fascinating drink, that plays on the Chinese fondness for numb-hot flavours by infusing aged rum with Sichuan pepper, chilli and black pepper, and blending it with lime, chocolate syrup and chocolate bitters for a gloriously rich, mellow and complex mix. The basil and gold dust garnish would count as overkill even without the mason jar and wrapping paper.