'If I didn’t do this well, I just wouldn’t have anything to do…I can’t cook, and I’d be a terrible housewife'. When you open merkaba’s cocktail menu and find yourself immediately confronted with a quote by Freddy Mercury, it's clear that this is a bar that prides itself on standing out from the pack and it’s succeeding with imaginative, well made cocktails that you certainly won't forget in a hurry. However, it’s not just the cocktail menu at merkaba that warrants a second look, the Fifth Element meets submarine chic styling is pretty sexy too.

The Venue
Hotel bars are tough to get right. Too often they can end up serving as feeder venues to the hotel’s restaurant – only popular for a quick pre or post-dinner drink whilst the rest of the night the space is as deserted as Brighton Pier on a snowy day. So far, no such fate has befallen merkaba even though the neighbouring restaurant is one with none other than Aldo Zilli’s name above the door.

It’s not hard to see why merkaba is a destination in its own right as it’s certainly one of the most seductive bars in Brighton. As you walk in from the stark, dazzlingly bright lighting in reception, the dim lighting of the bar is an instant relief and you’ll find yourself relaxing even before you've made the few short steps to the bar that's immediately in front of you and runs the width of the room. Banks of TVs displaying ever-changing, ambient visuals hover above the bar and cocktail connoisseurs line the length of it watching the mixologists work their magic - any other word just doesn't cover the dedication these guys have to their art.

Oddly, the futuristic design of the bar is comfortable and whilst it's high end sleek, it's never intimidatingly so. In fact, a night at merkaba always puts the emphasis on relaxation and fun. Whether you're sitting at one of the high counters lined with tall chairs that are fitted with hydraulics just begging for you to challenge your friends to races lowering the seats after a few cocktails, or are simply kicking back on the comfy cream leather sofas cocooned beneath the tactile curve of ribbed, blonde wood with soft uplighting, there's no missing the easy comfort of the decor. However, in every bar there's always one table that's considered prime seating and at merkaba it's the one beside the wall inset with a fish tank whose tropical inhabitants are soothingly hypnotic even before a few drinks.

The People
merkaba attracts cocktail lovers who aren’t afraid to pay for quality and more especially those who consider the skill involved in making the inventive concoctions and the strength of the cocktails actually adds up to value for money. The bar’s buzzy, stylish environment clearly inspires the regulars and hotel guests when it comes to making an effort although quite how tasteful some of the outfits are on display is clearly subjective. Fake seems to be the name of the game for many, be it tans, talons or tresses so don’t be surprised to feel as though you’ve just wandered onto the set of WAG’s World. That said, this is a Brighton bar so if jeans, trainers and trendy T-shirts are more your bag you’ll still fit in fine.

The Drink
It’s the drinks, and more specifically the cocktails, that give merkaba the wow factor however, ensuring that it’s a much trodden path by the majority of Brighton’s most discerning bar flies. Prices start at £6.50, rising to £10 for the daddy of all drinks but it's all money well spent as not only are the cocktails nearly twice the size that you’ll be served at most Brighton cocktail bars, the quality, care and attention to detail is evident from the first sip.

At merkaba, the cocktails are created to linger over, savouring with slow sips late into the night. The sheer showmanship that goes into creating them makes it worth ordering one even if you usually stick to beer or wine, especially when it comes to the myTiki (£10). Anyone who's been to Mahiki in London's Mayfair will recognise that it has similar ingredients and presentation as their Zombie cocktail but the Brighton version more than holds its own. Instead of a predictable glass, it's served in a large, carved ceramic vessel and is a blend of spiced syrups and exotic fruit juices with white, golden and aged rums poured over plenty of crushed ice before being crowned with a lime half filled with a brown sugar cube that's saturated in more rum that's then set alight. Let the flame burn for a while before blowing it out and pouring the mixture into the cocktail.

If you fancy a lighter tasting cocktail, the Jade Garden (£6.50) and Bitter and Twisted (£7.50) are both excellent choices although be careful as it's easy to forget there's alcohol in them and end up drinking them too quickly - not a good idea when the bar is open until the early hours. The Jade Garden's mixture of gin and elderflower cordial (organic, naturally) is such a summery drink that it's very moreish particularly when combined with the rest of the ingredients - homemade jasmine syrup and lemon and apple juices. Similarly, the Bitter and Twisted (£7.50) is served in a long glass and is scarily neckable as it really tastes of the pink grapefruit that's in it over and above the rest of the ingredients - Bombay Sapphire gin, Campari, passion fruit and fresh lime.

For fans of more masculine cocktails, the Dry Sidecar (£7.50) is a good bet and is guaranteed to make your eyes water with its concoction of H by Hine cognac with a hint of Campari, finished with passion fruit and fresh citrus juices. However, all other cocktails pale into insignificance when it comes to the sheer volume of the myPunch (£80) that's served in a vast bowl and serves up to six people. If you fancy being the envy of the rest of the bar and are with a group of friends, then you'll want to opt for this concoction of pear flavoured Grey Goose vodka, blueberries and fresh pears, all topped off with pink Champagne.

Aside from the cocktails, there's a strong offering of tequilas, rums and whiskies (American, Scotch and Irish), plus plenty of Champagne and wine that starts at £4.50 for glasses of good quality Argentinian wine.

The Last Word
merkaba may not be one of the cheapest bars in Brighton but it's certainly one of the most seductive. The crowd sometimes err more on the side of WAG than wow but nevertheless this is a chic, popular bar where the cocktails are king. Long may it reign.

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