Cocktail bars
Finding a good cocktail bar can be a tricky business, often you can end up in places which are style over substance, and if you’re going to pay upwards of £10 per drink you don’t want to end up anywhere that’s not worth it. So here’s a few of our favourites.
Barts
London’s ‘worst-kept secret’ cocktail bar, one of dozens of speakeasy style bars that have sprung up in recent years, it takes some finding set as it is within a Chelsea apartment block, requiring one to ring a bell and request entrance – unless you’re a regular when you get your own key. The cocktails are excellent and can be served in cigar boxes or teacups if you want, and with a dressing up box and regular live music there’s plenty to keep you entertained.
Eclipse South Kensington
Eclipse bar in Chelsea has long been a staple in West London, but it’s the South Kensington branch that attracts our attention because not only does it have the same excellent cocktail menu, with their legendary watermelon martini, but downstairs there’s a nightclub for when you’re feeling suitably merry, so you can dance til the small hours.
Portobello Star and Ginstitute
The original pub on this site opened in 1740 so there’s plenty of heritage, but it’s been updated to become a self-described ‘cocktail tavern.’ Downstairs you have all the usual cocktails mixed up by in-house mixologist Jake Burger and upstairs you can book the ‘Ginstitute’ to explore the history of gin and the opportunity to mix up your own bespoke blend.
Lonsdale
Promising ‘top notch intoxocology’ their acclaimed drinks selection is known as ‘the Bible’ and contains drinks from as far back as the 16th century and brand new creations from their mixologists. Live DJs add atmosphere to the place which is usually rammed as it’s been ranked one of the top 20 bars in the world by Drinks International.