Ekcovision

I love the smell of new carpet. It is, in my opinion, one of the finest smells around. When we had our carpet replaced on the stairs and landing, I lay face down on it for ages, taking in its newness. I feel like I’m sharing something about myself that I should be ashamed of, but I’m not, I’m not ashamed. I am a carpet sniffer. My other half hates being in carpet shops with me because I have a tendency to stick my face in amongst the rolls of carpet and inhale. The last time I went in to a carpet shop in Walthamstow, I left my other half dealing with the guy behind the counter, and went off to sniff a particularly satisfying swatch book, it was heaven. It was that same shop that supplied and fitted our fragrant stair carpet. Sadly, I won’t be sniffing carpets in that shop anymore, because now it is now a cocktail bar.

Ekcovision recently opened in the Hoe Street shop that was once occupied by the Carpet Factory Outlet. Located underneath the Victoria and next door to Mirth, Marvel & Maud, this new kid on the block specialises in hand-crafted cocktails. I don’t actually know what hand-crafted cocktail means, but that’s what the website says, so I’m going with it. With its bare concrete floor, black and white flocked wallpaper, and patterned wooden bar, Ekcovision is pretty cool. In reality, I expect it’s too cool for a Burtons jumper wearing forty-year old like me, but I went in any way.

Whilst the bar is cool, you may need to save your pocket-money before paying it a visit, it isn’t cheap, but then I suppose cocktails never are. I was pretty unadventurous and had a vodka tonic, but my other half on the other hand had a cocktail that was served with a glow stick in it. I remember dancing in a warehouse whilst holding glow sticks, and now they are served in drinks, how times have changed. Putting my miss-spent youth to one side, it’s fair to say the staff in Ekcovision were pretty friendly, and table service means you don’t have to do much moving. The bar also serves some beers, so you don’t have to stick with glow in the dark cocktails if you don’t want to.

So, my former favourite carpet shop is now a cocktail bar. Would I have preferred it to stay a carpet shop? Probably. Am I the market Ekcovision is aiming for? Probably not, but that’s no bad thing. Ekcovision is new, a bit different, and well worth a visit, even if you are a former raver who is generally confused by the modern world. You can read a bit more about them on their website. Oh, and before anyone starts shouting at me and telling me that gentrification is ruining the world. The carpet shop moved and is still trading on Lea Bridge Road. I’d recommend them for excellent service, and superb sniffing opportunities.