9 Lives, London Bridge
This vibrant subterranean bar brings loads of tiki-inspired enjoyable and on-point cocktails to London Bridge, simply minutes from the station. Hip interiors of rattan lampshades, lush hanging crops and upcycled bamboo furnishings, in addition to pulsing beats and feel-good vibes, set the scene for the bar’s newest menu, Tropicalifornication. Impressed by music albums, this ‘compilation’ of 12 cocktails is replete with vibrant serves and loads of sustainably minded manufacturers, together with Discarded banana peel rum and Avallen calvados. Attempt the Method Higher Than a Cosmo, which because the title suggests turbo-charges the classics 90s cocktail, utilizing a mix of Gray Goose vodka, redcurrants, kumquats and lime to deliciously recent and zingy impact. Additionally spectacular is Punchline, that includes Tanqeuray, pineapple shrub, apricot brandy, chartreuse and lime for a zesty, layered cocktail with funky fruit and floral notes. Rum cocktail lovers ought to select the Tropicalifornication, that includes banana and pineapple rums, bitters, lime and egg white for a clean, opulently tropical tipple. If you happen to get hungry, impeccably made guacamole and flavoured-packed seasonal seafood tacos can be found to order from Tigre Tacos. ninelivesbar.com
The Lowback, Canary Wharf
This Hawksmoor bar – the primary bar launch from the group in additional than 11 years – is ready on a floating pavilion in Canary Wharf. Inside, interiors are heavy on darkish wooden fittings, dim lighting and mid-century-style fixtures – the sort of bar that Don Draper would drink in. On the menu, there’s loads to love, together with bottled champagne cocktails and plenty of traditional Hawksmoor creations (together with a stellar bitter cherry negroni), nevertheless it’s the inventive martini listing – all chilled to 11C in flasks to make sure a superbly frosty serve – that deserves shut consideration. Lovers of a savoury tipple ought to make a beeline for the turbo-charged Pink Gibson. That includes Audemus Umami Gin (flavoured with wacky botanicals together with capers and parmesan) and a pink pickled onion, it delivers lots of savoury briny notes, underpinned by delicate floral hints. Those that favor a cleaner martini ought to strive the Douglas Fir Silver Bullet, icy and aniseed natural with its marriage of Hepple vodka, douglas fir and dill oil. Do additionally discover the bar snacks, which embody decadent salt beef nuggets stuffed with melted Ogleshield cheese, and bone marrow oysters, in addition to bigger steak and burger dishes. thehawksmoor.com
Cellar at Kindred, Hammersmith
The hectic roundabout at Hammersmith Broadway is an sudden setting for cocktails, however members’ membership Kindred, within the elegant Grade-II listed Bradmore Home, has launched Cellar, a laidback café and bar open to the general public. In relaxed and informal environment, cocktails come courtesy of resident mixologist Julian de Feral (Milk & Honey, Lutyens and Hawksmoor) and supply loads of accessible, crowd-pleasing twists on classics.
Attempt the Brambl-ita – Curado Cupreata smoked tequila with lime, spiced chocolate bitters and blackberry liqueur – for a vibrantly fruity, satisfyingly zingy twist on a margarita. These on the lookout for a lighter tipple ought to go for the Kindred Spritz, utilizing flavour-packed non-alcoholic aperitif Everleaf so as to add additional oomph alongside cherry aperitif, peach and jasmine soda and glowing wine for a fragile, floral drink. On the other finish of the spectrum, Cellar takes a traditional espresso martini and injects it with tropical character with the addition of Aluna coconut and low liqueur, Cargo Cult banana spiced rum and spices for an opulent serve. wearekindred.com
Sweeties, King’s Cross
Step into the Commonplace lodge’s modern purple tablet elevate and zoom as much as the tenth flooring for this luxe bar that mixes retro interiors with playful, off-beat cocktails and unrivalled views of King’s Cross and St Pancras.
In step with its dwelling, a restored Nineteen Seventies Brutalist workplace block, Sweeties takes its cue from the identical decade, with opulent interiors together with velvet sofas, mirrored tables, gold accents, wooden panelling and patterned carpets.
The cocktail menu options ‘feel-good components and mood-enhancing mixes’ designed to be energising and uplifting. We’re undecided if we felt these results however regardless the drinks are superb. Decide Me Up – made with eight adaptogenic (components that assist the physique take care of stress) mushrooms, vodka, rum, caramel and burnt butter drank like an elevated espresso martini, layered and earthy, with rounded depth. Roots Manuva – riesling vermouth, golden beet caramel, turmeric, ginseng, ginger, orange and mead – is vibrant, honeyed and recent, with a vegetal edge.
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No Whey Jose, blanco tequila with strawberry, purple rice, rose and a salted scorching coconut foam, was the pleasant cocktail equal of a Campino strawberry sweet. Purple Rain – Johnny Walker whisky, amazake, salted plum, cherry bark and blossom wine – was like an additional fruity quaint, bursting with berry flavours, smoky and subtly savoury. standardhotels.com/sweeties
Seed Library, London E1
Ryan Chetiyawardana’s newest enterprise is a slinky ingesting den within the basement of the One Hundred Shoreditch lodge.
Whereas his flagship bar – Lyaness at Sea Containers in Southbank – showcases a high-concept strategy to mixology, Seed Library is intentionally extra informal and low key. Stroll-ins are inspired and the house, with its sultry lighting, wood-panelled partitions, purple velvet chairs and heat palette, feels retro and barely louche, but very welcoming.
Anticipate elevated riffs on cocktail classics. Sansho Leaf Martini with Belvedere vodka, Cocchi dry vermouth and inexperienced sansho oil is clear and delicate, and subtly savoury. A Coriander Seed Gimlet is gorgeously executed, clear and citrussy with a spine of mild, warming spice. Summer season Whisky Sourz, with Dewar’s 12-year-old scotch, Fierfield Birch botanical Irish whiskey, woodruff, meadowsweet and lemon is complicated and layered, with herbaceous and cereal notes. Galangal Pencillin swaps the standard peated whisky for tequila and mezcal, and provides fragrant galangal for a vibrant, smoky cocktail.
Bar snacks are winningly hearty, and moreish – anticipate the likes of deep-fried hen hearts, beef quick rib croquettes and potato smileys. onehundredshoreditch.com/seed-library
Doña, London N16
There’s one thing soothingly womb-like and seductive about descending into Doña, with its basement setting and opulent, lavishly trimmed décor of wall-to-wall wealthy reds and pinks scattered with prickly cacti, velvet seating and a wonderful pink-fringed bar.
It’s an all-female affair – based by buddies Thea Cumming and Lucia Massey, and capabilities as each mezcal bar and group arts platform – there’s music and efficiency most nights, with an emphasis on feminine and queer artists, and a full of life cultural programme. There’s additionally tacos on faucet, because of Tigre Tacos upstairs.
Thea has her personal mezcal model, Harmful Don, and based London Mezcal Week, so it’s no shock Doña is a treasure trove of uncommon and small-batch mezcals. If you happen to’re new to mezcal then we advocate beginning with the quick however hard-working cocktail listing, which explores the flexibility of this smoky agave spirit. Take the Fiorella: made with Quiquiriqui mezcal, dry vermouth, Italicus and Empirical Ayuuk, it has the clear, crystalline really feel of a martini however with a herbaceous, earthy spine. Or strive the Monika, with Harmful Don Café, chocolate, crème de cacao, Cocchi Americano and amaretto, which tastes like a refined, elevated espresso martini, replete with espresso, chocolate and nutty notes.
Doña additionally makes a cracking home margarita – we requested for a spicy model and the top consequence was excellent, poky and zesty with a savoury, briny twang on the finish. bardonalondon.com
Silverleaf, Bishopsgate – for cocktails within the Metropolis
If you happen to cherished Dandelyan and Lyaness at Sea Containers in Southbank, make a beeline for this standalone bar on the Pan Pacific lodge in Bishopsgate, which mixes sultry Tom Dixon-designed interiors with exactly executed, intriguing cocktails.
We imply ‘standalone’ actually – the bar isn’t within the precise lodge, however hidden away within the adjoining Devonshire Home. The drinks experience comes from London whisky specialist Milroy’s.
Inside, interiors have moody metallic and muted tones, plus luxe textures and types – suppose mid-century furnishings, curved marble tables, sweeping banquettes, charred timber, blackened metal and low lighting.
The cocktails, that are modern and minimalist in presentation, ship shocking marriages of components and flavours. Attempt the Heartleaf/Kombu, with Haku vodka, heartleaf and kombu distillate and purple wine vinegar, for a subtly briny, savoury and clear twist on a traditional martini. One other must-order is Hibiscus/Guajillo, that includes mezcal, selfmade sorrel vermouth, guajillo chilli tincture, hibiscus, cacao nibs and mole bitters. It’s a vibrant, intricate steadiness of flavours – tart and spicy with delicate hints of cocoa. panpacific.com/silverleaf
Connaught Bar – for martinis
Low-lit, slinky, plush luxurious is the secret at this acclaimed lodge bar, whose tastefully decadent surrounds – metallic accents, mirrors, a mutedly wealthy palate and loads of seating to sink into – is matched by impeccable service and much more spectacular cocktails.
If you happen to solely order one drink let or not it’s the martini – made at a trolley by your desk with theatrical, professional aplomb (watching them pour the martini in a excessive, silvery stream into your glass is a sight to behold). Tanqueray No Ten is the advisable serve, together with a mix of vermouths and your alternative of selfmade bitters (starting from tonka bean and lavender to cardamom, on our go to). The tip result’s spot on, silky textured and really beneficiant in dimension – don’t drink one on an empty abdomen.
Their newest menu, Formae, additionally has a lot to discover, drawing inspiration from the shapes and types of the encircling bar. We tried the Voronoi – a fruitier, lighter tackle a margarita with Tapatio tequila, Michoacan mezcal, vetiver liqueur, lime and timur sherbet, vermouth, grapefruit hops bitters and agave water. Thought has gone into the zero-alcohol providing, too – we loved the sprightly Pietra with ginseng and bergamot kombucha, osmanthus honey syrup and sauvignon blanc juice.
Complimentary buttery olives and crackers are repeatedly refilled by meticulously attentive employees, and successful canapés embody ultra-light and crispy tempura made with seasonal veg, crispy salmon sashimi with chipotle mayo and velvety guacamole. the-connaught.co.uk/connaught-bar
KOL Mezcalería – for agave cocktails
Tucked away on the decrease floor flooring of Santiago Lastra’s refined hymn to Mexican delicacies is that this slinky, subterranean bar. Impressed by the mezcalerias of Mexico, it’s decked out in soothing earthy tones and pure textures, with darkish picket furnishings, rattan lamps and conventional Mexican artifacts on the partitions.
The cocktails are masterminded by bar supervisor Maxim Schulte (former head bartender on the American Bar at The Savoy), and echo the restaurant’s emphasis on British seasonal components, with a lot of selfmade infusions. The drinks listing modifications often, however anticipate the likes of the Tatanka – crab apple-infused El Destilado rum, Somerset 10-year-old cider brandy and rhubarb for a tangy lengthy drink, and a negroni made with sloe gin-infused Corte Vetusto mezcal. Star of the night was a fancy tackle a martini, that includes Volcan Blanco tequila, pine distillate, cucumber and – quirkily – a contact of crème de cacao blanc, which softly rounded the colourful flavours of the opposite components. It had all of the boozy kick of a traditional martini, however with an added herbaceous character. Alongside this, Santiago has created a listing of street-food type snacks, or ‘antojitos’, together with truffle quesadillas with Kentish Oaxacan cheese. In addition to the cocktails, don’t go away with out sampling among the bar’s 80-strong listing of mezcal, tequila and different agave spirits. kolrestaurant.com
Abajo, Soho – for Argentinian cocktails
Head downstairs from Soho’s decadent Argentinian restaurant, Sucre, to this sultry cocktail lounge. The bar is uncovered within the centre so you’ll be able to watch mixologists shake, combine and pour from all angles, to the backdrop of stay music and DJs. Tato Giovannoni, the brains behind Buenos Aires’s Florería Atlántico (of World’s 50 Finest Bars fame), has curated a menu that nods to the vibrancy, spirit and color of contemporary Argentina. A spotlight is ‘one thing orange’, a refreshing concoction of corn-based Mexican whisky, corn liqueur and pumpkin and peanut chicha purée, topped up with mandarin and bergamot soda and illuminated by a neon coaster. Argentina’s iconic Princípe de los Apóstoles gin, infused with yerba mate and eucalyptus, is on the core of most of the cocktails, together with the velvety, salty, martini-style And One Dry and the zippy, easy-drinking Struggling Bastard. Get a style of chef Fernando Trocca’s fare in snacks and small plates, corresponding to beef tartare scooped up with crunchy plantain crisps, zingy wood-fired cauliflower on a citrussy ‘causa’ mash, and empanada parcels stuffed with creamy aged cheddar, chilli and onions. Don’t miss the dulce de leche fondant for one thing candy. sucrerestaurant.com/abajo/
Swift, Soho – for pre-dinner drinks
This award-winning Soho bar comes from husband-and-wife staff Bobby Hiddleston (Useless Rabbit, Callooh Callay) and Mia Johansson (Milk & Honey), and the staff behind Nightjar and Oriole. It is a two-part affair, with a buzzy, informal house on the bottom flooring – finest for walk-ins – and darker, intimate underground lounge with modern crescent cubicles, inky black tables and moody lighting.
The upstairs serves lighter aperitif cocktails (strive the signature sgroppino, with lemon sorbet, prosecco and Italicus), whereas down beneath focuses on extra sultry cocktails, in addition to whisky, of which they’ve a 300-strong assortment.
Do try their newest outpost in Shoreditch, the place modern black and white artwork deco-style interiors make an aesthetic setting for ingesting characteristically inventive cocktails – strive the Carmen with Olmeca Altos plata tequila, toasted blue corn and lime sherbet for a zingy twist on a margarita. barswift.com
Three Sheets, Dalston – for pared-back cocktails
A stripped-back cocktail bar with a succinct listing of drinks, Three Sheets has raked within the plaudits through the years however nonetheless retains a buzzy neighbourhood haunt vibe.
It was the primary enterprise from the Venning brothers, initially from Manchester, who’ve labored in main cocktail bars for years, most notably Max’s expertise with Tony Conigliaro’s Drinks Manufacturing unit and 69 Colebrooke Row and Noel’s time in Manchester at tequila bar Loopy Pedro’s. Extra not too long ago, they’ve additionally helped discovered Crouch Finish’s Little Mercies (see beneath) and Highbury wine bar Prime Cuvée – in addition to its roaringly profitable store, Store Cuvée.
Max and Noel aren’t massive on the showy aspect of cocktail making – behind the bar is an easy shelf of bottles containing solely what the mixologists want for the quick cocktail listing. This no-frills strategy permits the brothers’ northern appeal to shine by way of; they chat away and advocate native haunts whereas shaking up drinks as if internet hosting you in their very own dwelling.
The pithy drinks listing modifications seasonally, however often options their well-known fizzy pre-bottled French 75, made with gin, verjus, clarified lemon juice, moscato and orange flower. Poured straight into your glass like champagne, it’s dangerously straightforward to drink (you should purchase it purchase the glass, or, even higher, by the bottle). threesheets-bar.com
Homeboy, Battersea – for Irish appeal
Aaron Wall and Ciarán Smith’s second Irish boozer-cum-contemporary cocktail bar continues the Gaelic enjoyable south of the river, in Battersea. The bar crew actually make this place, warming up the big house with top-notch suggestions, enjoyable anecdotes and swift-yet-dramatic cocktail mixing towards a glimmering backdrop of Irish whiskies. The in depth catalogue of spirits is used to create the likes of the Wogan, mixing small-batch Irish whiskey aged in rum barrels with apricot brandy to enhance the sweetness. Champagne paloma is a pre-batched quantity, combining and carbonating Patrón silver tequila, grapefruit sherbet and Moët within the bottle for a gluggable, refreshing end. Boulevardier followers ought to select the elegant Taoiseach, incorporating chocolaty Redbreast Irish whiskey into the combo with Cointreau, Martini Rosso and pomegranate syrup. Order the Canine Home Punch to sip from tiki-style glasses modelled on Aaron’s canines again in Dublin. Different must-orders are the velvety Irish espresso with a silky espresso cream end, and a superbly poured Guinness. Bar snacks embody buttermilk-fried buffalo hen nuggets, smoked salmon served on selfmade soda bread with Kerrygold butter and the extra substantial tender lamb Irish stew. homeboybar.com
SOMA, Soho – for Indian-inspired cocktails
This understated bar occupies subterranean premises on Soho’s Denman Road, subsequent door to sister restaurant Kricket. Inside, anticipate pared-back but polished cocktails served in low-lit, slinkily minimalist surrounds – suppose a chrome steel bar, indigo partitions and walnut furnishings.
SOMA – like Kricket – takes inspiration from the Indian subcontinent, serving snappily executed riffs on traditional cocktails that showcase intelligent spicing and an eclectic strategy to components. Begin with the mooli, a crystalline affair of vodka with curry leaf-infused vermouth served ice-cold from the freezer and garnished with a sliver of pickled mooli. Savoury and peppery, delicate and clear, it might be a Marmite drink for some, however followers of a gibson martini ought to make a beeline for it. The chaat – mezcal, tequila, chaat masala, kumquat and a moreish gooseberry salt – is winningly clear, zesty and saline, whereas the oak is a silky, nutty, opulent marriage of cardamom, aged gin, amaro, vermouth and amontillado sherry. It is the proper nightcap to finish the night. somasoho.com
Little Mercies, Crouch Finish – for neighbourhood drinks
Trendy, easy-drinking cocktails are the main focus at Alan Sherwood’s (Peg + Patriot, Scout) laidback institution.
Inside, it is calm and composed – anticipate a minimalist inside of uncovered brick, a concrete bar, pendant lamps and inky blue partitions. The cocktails listed below are elegant, with loads of selfmade components – most not too long ago, a negroni made with the bar’s personal passionfruit vermouth. There’s additionally a enjoyable but progressive strategy to traditional drinks, suppose bellinis made with lacto-fermented peach, kiwi gimlets and ‘Snickers’ outdated fashioneds. littlemercies.co.uk
Lyaness, South Financial institution – for progressive cocktails
When drinks maestro Ryan Chetiyawardana’s lavishly garlanded Dandelyan (together with World’s Finest Bar in 2018) closed earlier this 12 months at Sea Containers London it was swiftly changed by his subsequent incarnation – Lyaness.
The sweeping inexperienced marble bar and modern mid-century aesthetic stays at Lyaness, however this time the color palate is lighter (however nonetheless statement-making), with sky-hued partitions, soft-grey sofas and electric-blue banquettes, plus a lot of opulent gold accents.
Whereas Dandelyan’s thematically complicated menus lined subjects corresponding to botany, sustainability and agriculture, Lyaness is extra pared again, with a cocktail menu constructed round seven key components. If this sounds easy, then relaxation assured there’s loads of Ryan’s characteristically intricate drinks wizardry happening behind the scenes, with every ‘ingredient’ the top results of numerous intelligent processes and strategies. The ensuing cocktails are supremely drinkable. lyaness.com
Nightjar, Shoreditch – for speakeasy vibes
The busy Metropolis Highway in Shoreditch appears an unlikely setting for a classy, subterranean speakeasy bar however that’s precisely the place you’ll discover Nightjar. On the surface, a tall picket door sandwiched between two cafés is the one proof of its existence, however go inside and uncover an opulent house replete with candlelit tables, leather-based banquette seating and flatteringly dim lighting.
The bar’s characteristically detailed drinks menu riffs on outdated cocktail recipes (starting from the pre-prohibition to post-war intervals) however provides its personal twist.
Attempt the Honeymoon – a brief, recent but punchy mix of Glenfiddich 21-year-old whisky, Nightjar’s ‘forbidden fruit liqueur’ (a mixture of citrussy pomelo, sherry and dry vermouth), Cynar, mead, lemon and geranium leaf. It is a complicated drink, dry and delicately smoky, with delicate honey and aniseed notes.
Drink nerds ought to examine the bar’s classic spirits menu, which is stuffed with uncommon, aged spirits relationship from the late nineteenth to early twentieth centuries. barnightjar.com
Oriole, Farringdon – for stay music
A world away from the echoey warehouses of Smithfield Market above, this basement hideout oozes artwork deco glamour with out being brash and glossy. Oriole is the title of a vibrant unique fowl, and there are nods to this theme all through, with jungle wallpaper, tropical illustrations and worldly trinkets. Lounge on a teal banquette or perch on one of many patterned pouffes which are scattered across the stage, the place musicians unpack their double basses and jazz guitars to play gypsy swing, jazz and the blues.
Named “A world awaits”, this huge menu is cut up into Previous World (Europe and Africa), New World (the Americas) and The Orient (Asia and Australasia), filtering in uncommon components from throughout the globe. Jules Verne’s Round The World in 80 Days springs to thoughts because the menu encourages company to find the globe by way of its many components.
Go on a Wednesday to Saturday night time to get pleasure from stay international music – gypsy swing to conventional New Orlean’s jazz, West African blues to Trinidadian calypso. oriolebar.com
Coupette, Bethnal Inexperienced – for date night time
It is a tremendous cool ingesting den, the place banter over the bar (created from French centimes) is inspired. There’s a soundtrack of hip hop, that has taken over jazz because the cocktail bar style of alternative over the previous few years, and punters let free because the night unfolds, shifting from excessive tables to mingle in with different cocktail lovers and select spirits from the brick wall behind the bar. The showstopping champagne piña colada is a must-try – a mixture of Bacardi Heritage, French-Caribbean agricole rum, pineapple and coconut sorbet, topped up with Moët & Chandon brut. coupette.co.uk
Ever After – for individuals watching
This elegant, low-key bar sits above sister outfit Happiness Forgets in Hoxton Sq.. Inside, there’s bistro-style seating, banquettes and uncovered brick partitions, with Crittall doorways opening on to a lined terrace with alternative views of the sq.. It’s acquired heaters and blankets, too, do you have to need to individuals watch in winter.
Cocktails are elegant and exact – sherry cobbler will get a contemporary makeover as a milk punch and is fantastically rounded, with dry salinity from the sherry alongside tropical fruit notes. The bar’s home martinis are prebatched and stashed within the freezer till wanted – our Plymouth gin one was deliciously silky and icy. Do try the listing of zero-alcohol cocktails, too, embody the warming, smoky Dry Penicillin and a convincingly punchy and herbaceous booze-free negroni.
Come for drinks however keep for dinner, with beneficiant sharing plates together with steak tartare with crispy croutons, and roast aubergine with pumpkin purée and salsa verde, in addition to easy but luscious chocolate mousse made in massive batches and scooped into bowls at your desk. everafterbar.com
Bandra Bhai – for Indian-inspired cocktails
If you happen to’re on the lookout for a secret late-night bar in central London to impress buddies, then that is the place to go to.
Hidden away within the basement of Pali Hill is secluded cocktail bar Bandra Bhai, with interiors impressed by Nineteen Seventies India and outdated smuggling dens. Head bartender (and drinks wizard) Dav Eames explains to us that he not too long ago sourced the unique 70s glassware from classic outlets – a touch of the eagerness that lies behind the menu.
The 70s inspiration continues with drinks such because the Disco Inferno, made with cardamom gin. Indian historical past can also be a touchstone, which is why the tequila, ginger, lemon and grapefruit cocktail Bangbang Bandstand will get its title from the joyful miscreants that used to build up on bandstands. Every drink has a narrative linked to it and three fundamental flavours, which is obvious in our favorite, the Gaba Singh Aspect-Hustle which has pineapple, celery and cognac and comes served in what can solely be described as pure opulence, a golden pineapple glass. bandrabhai.co.uk
