The Big Chill

The Big Chill's first bar venture has retained the values that make its festivals such a success - it's social, sophisticated and discerning without a jot of pretentiousness.

The environment's conducive to chatting to your neighbours, whether on the forecourt's beer garden-style benches or the stretched, low-lying tables and sofas lining one wall of the rectangular space, though there's ample room for more privacy.

The input and experience of the Cantaloupe group (Cargo, Market Place, Cantaloupe) comes across in the demeanour of the relaxed, confident and well-informed staff.

Drinks are different: draughts include Budvar (£2.90), King Weiss - and in true festival tradition - Weston's Cider (£3.20); bottled beers include Sagres from Portugal and the wholesome Moretti from Italy (both £2.80). Inventive cocktails such as the Big Chill Punch (peach, vodka, champagne) and the Mango Easy, with the cloying mango sweetness tempered by vodka, struck a luscious balance (both £6).

Food is broad and reasonably priced, comprising snacks (buffalo wings, paprika-spiced sweet potatoes), vegetarian (portabello mushroom burger with pesto), meat (jambalaya, roast jerk chicken brochettes), fish (Creole-spiced fishcakes, swordfish) and salads - a papaya, grapefruit, avocado and palmitos heart salad, for £5, in particular was fresh, fleshy and achieved the wow factor.

Each aspect (food, drink, music, decor) of the Big Chill bar imbues it with an identity and character that's so often lacking in ubiquitous, anodynestyle bars.

There's more to come with a marquee to be installed in the rear garden and oversized photography to be mounted. It all adds up to an experience and atmosphere that you will be hard-pushed to find elsewhere. Rahul Verma

Dray Walk, off Brick Lane E1. Tel: 020 7392 9180.

Tube: Shoreditch/ Liverpool Street

The Big Chill Bar
The Truman Brewery, Dray Walk, E1 6QL