The Bishop of Ostia

Very nice conversion from Pope Joan during the day to The Bishop of Ostia in the evenings.
Had a very nice evening meal in the backyard of The Bishop of Ostia. A tasty beer on tap, and the old cocktail in a jar concept.
The only disappointment was that they allow smoking in the back outdoor area. I think with only 16% of the population being smokers, and it now being pretty accepted that you don’t want to be breathing in smoke while eating your meal, it is time that businesses simply made the decision to stop smoking everywhere on their premises. If you allow smoking in your only outdoor area, you are disenfranchising (potentially) 84% of your customers, which isn’t good business strategy.

As the sun sets and a busy Nicholson street café begins to close, across the shared courtyard, the cleverly named Bishop of Ostia tells the next story in the Pope Joan fable.
A patient waitress at breakfast explained the tale to me recently: Legend has it that Pope John (Joan) Anglicus was a woman, who as a girl went to Athens dressed in the clothing of her lover. She became a respected scholar of liberal arts and was chosen as Pope, until however, she fell pregnant. Her illegitimate son is said to have become the Bishop of Ostia.
The Bishop’s bar is indeed indicative of a quaint premium café stepped a generation further. Slightly more modern, polished, and sophisticated than the already stylish café next door, it still manages to retain Joan’s quality countryside charm. For the bastard love child of a cross dressing con artist it’s a very civilised affair indeed. A fascinating cocktail list has been tailored to perfectly match an irresistible menu of clever gourmet nibbles… pretty much meaning you’ll have to try each pairing, right? Okay, maybe not in one sitting, but it’s an achievement I’m happy to aspire to.