Any bar that has ‘and’ in the middle of its name is always going to have connotations of a big traditional boozer, or one of its modern, trendier incarnations. Rose and Crown, Slug and Lettuce… you get my drift.

So, it was a surprise to find the Shrub and Shutter is none of those things. In fact it was a surprise to find it at all, because it’s all too easy to walk or drive past a couple of times before you realize you’ve arrived at this gem of a bar in the heart of buzzing, bustling Brixton.

Now, I am fast coming to the conclusion that there are two kinds of ‘best’ bars – the glitzy grand hotel bar and the small, personal variety, run with love, attention and humour by owners and fellow bar lovers.

And that’s the Shrub and Shutter for you… small, but perfectly formed with delicious food and drink served by well-informed, friendly staff under the expert ownership of Dave Tregenza and Chris Edwards. All of whom are only too happy to talk you through the varied and creative cocktail menu featuring funny, fresh and frankly quite bizarre ingredients including gunpowder.

At the time we visited a new series of Game of Thrones was about to kick off and the Shrub and Shutter had created some specially themed cocktails to celebrate the occasion. So, more a case of GoT than G&T. Fortunately for me that meant a proper pewter tankard foaming at the top with majestically medieval ingredients.

We also tried a literally smoking, Milk of the Poppy with a Dragon’s Egg. All of this was complemented with plates of delicious bar food prepared in the impossibly tiny, but obviously very competent kitchen.

The bar quickly filled up as the evening wore on, so we were thankful we had arrived early and were warming up to stay late until we realized bedtimes beckoned. We will certainly return to Coldharbour Lane, because despite the address, the warmest of welcomes will be waiting.

336 Coldharbour Lane
Brixton
London
SW9 8QH

www.theshrubandshutter.com

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Soho, always seems to be buzzing… its streets packed every night of the week with revellers, ravers and roustabouts. The endless bars, pubs, clubs and restaurants run the whole gamut of styles, cuisine and salubriousness. Some of them get crowded, some get wild, some get seedy. Some get all three. So, it’s always great to find a bar you can escape too, where, even if it’s crowded, it’s cool and classy.

That’s what you get at Refuel in the Soho Hotel. The whole joint is owned by Firmdale Hotels who seem to have found a winning recipe for their small chain of hotels… including our firm favourite Ham Yard in nearby St James’.

The hotel’s interior has been designed by co-founder Kit Kemp in classically cool British style. Fittingly, given the area’s history, the hotel includes two film screening room and a film club. At weekends families can even enjoy a kid’s film with a buffet lunch to get everyone both fed and entertained. Elsewhere chic salons and public rooms are the perfect place for lounging around and enjoying afternoon tea.

But, enough of that, let’s get back to the bar. An early evening of bar investigations had taken in some hectic happy hour haunts. After which we were in search of something a little different with a touch more decorum. Thus we happened upon the Soho Hotel, hidden away in a quiet mews just metres away from the frenetic thoroughfares surrounding it. Here we were greeted exceptionally warmly and welcomed into the very stylish Refuel bar.

This is just the kind of place we like to while the hours away in. What can I say? It just feels right in every way. The staff were delightful, the drinks delicious, the decor delectable. The long, luxurious bar ensured that there were no unsightly scrums or queues. I sipped upon a Passion Bellini, my companion tucked into a Twisted Mojito. The hours slipped by as the drinks slipped down. Warm seasonal cocktails were taken to prepare ourselves for the cold, wet, winter night that awaited outside our warm haven of hospitality.

Any gripes? None at all. But a question… I get the name Refuel. It is a place to you can take in a few drinks in lovely surroundings, ready to head out into the big city. But Refuel sounds to me like you’re filling up with fuel. And nothing could be further from the truth. Here, in the heart of Soho, only the finest cocktails will keep you going.

THE SOHO HOTEL
4 Richmond Mews,
London,
W1D 3DH

www.firmdalehotels.com/hotels/london/the-soho-hotel/

Tags: bars in soho, hotel bars, refuel bar, soho hotel

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They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But they didn’t take into account the poor souls who haven’t managed to drag themselves up in time for it. And that’s quite a lot of us come the weekend.

So, step forward brunch, the most important meal of the weekend. And possibly the whole week. One that combines the very best comforting food with the opportunity to drink restorative libations.

Which is why we found ourselves late on a Sunday morning at Powder Keg Diplomacy, a well loved local bar and restaurant on St Johns Hill near Clapham Junction. Here they have concocted the perfect recipe for a popular local hangout… warm, welcoming and stylish with just the right dash of Victorian colonial eccentricity. We turned up with kids in tow and were all welcomed in by the fun and friendly staff who were dealing with Sunday in a much more positive frame of mind than we were.

The bar is split into three areas, there’s a comfortable lounging around area at the front, a well stocked bar with booths lining the wall opposite, and then beyond the bar towards the back, a Victorian style conservatory area dotted with period tables and chairs. Seated in a comfortable booth we could see local denizens of all ages arrive for a combination of coffees, cocktails, beers, brunches and lunches.

Crispy bacon rolls wee ordered and devoured quickly. The ever-helpful staff. much to the kids delight, were also able to provide a couple of enormous Yorkshire puddings for them. Whilst they gorged themselves we spent our time perusing the many variations on a Bloody Mary that were on offer. If Bloody Mary’s are not to your taste then a wide selection of restorative cocktails were also on offer. The Espresso Martini, made with rum, coffee liqueur and fresh espresso was irresistibly tempting and suitable stimulating.

Brunch turned to lunch, during which large amount of roast beef disappeared, quickly washed down with craft beer. If the younger members of the party hadn’t needed exercising we may have even stayed longer… perhaps for my new invention which merges lunch with tea and which I have christened ‘Lafternoon’.

We left fully restored with firm intentions to return, not just for brunch, but to enjoy an evening of food, cocktails and colonial extravagance.

The Powder Keg Diplomacy is at 
147 St Johns Hill
SW11 1TQ

www.powderkegdiplomacy.co.uk

Tags: bar reviews, bars in Clapham, bars in st Johns hill, bars in SW11, Bars London, Best Bars London

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What do I think of cocktails that are served in Jam Jars? Well, I think they’re worth preserving.

Boom, boom, thank you, I’ll be here all night…

Actually, I could be here all night, because this is just the kind of bar that ticks all the boxes for me as one of the best bars in London. Small, friendly, decadent, eclectic and interesting. Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick.

Down the metal staircase and through the basement entrance you’ll find seductive, secretive and bookable cavern type booths hidden behind red velvet curtains – while elsewhere you’ll find shabby chic sofas and comfy chairs to sink into.

The bar serves up delicious cocktails, craft beers, and some decent pizzas, bar snacks and sharing boards to help soak it all up. You’ll encounter friendly people both behind and in front of the bar and lots of live music to add to the atmosphere. It’s a real contender for one of the best cool and quirky bars in London. Or one of the best party bars in London. And, if you’re in a booth, romance might get a look in too!

When it’s quiet it’s a great place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, when it’s busy it’s a great place to be at the centre of that hustle and bustle. The night we visited the human jukebox was about to get going… In the shape of talented musician Tony Bowen, who takes tweets of any song you’d like to hear and serves up his own accomplished interpretations.

And that cocktail in a Jam Jar? It was a tantalisingly tasty concoction of rum, bitters, brown sugar and orange, that spread itself warmly through my body and whetted my appetite for more. Many, many more.

Lucky Pig? Lucky us.

The Lucky Pig is at
5 Clipstone Street,
Fitzrovia
W1W 6BB

www.theluckypig.co.uk

Tags: Bars in Fitzrovia, Bars in W1, Best Bars in Fitzrovia, Best Bars London, london bar, london bars, Lucky Pig, The Lucky Pig

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Gilbert Scott sounds like a Victorian expletive in the fine tradition of ‘Gordon Bennett’ and ‘What the Dickens’. Which is particularly apt – because it would be perfectly natural to utter a powerful exclamation of wonder once you enter this stunning bar and restaurant through the heavy revolving doors that mark the entrance.

The decor really is breathtaking. Mere words can’t do it justice… the bar which you enter is toweringly tall ceilinged and packed with glorious gold leaf, gilt and fin de siècle glamour. Steps ahead of you lead up to the restaurant, but why go further than the bar? On your left you’ll find comfortable seats to sink into while supping your selected cocktail. On the right stands the bar itself, a beautiful construction of dark metal, gleaming glasses and many hued spirit bottles

The staff are dutiful, the drinks delightful. My pocketful of rye bourbon-based cocktail was very, very moreish, as was the delicious smoked butter and paprika popcorn that kindly accompanied it. But it’s difficult to concentrate on the drinks and nibbles when you’re surrounded by such amazing décor. With an ornate, eastern influenced painted ceiling punctuated at each end with vast golden, bell shaped chandeliers you can’t help but stare in amazed delight and imagine yourself in a bygone era of decadence.

If you’re wondering who Gilbert Scott was, well Sir George Gilbert Scott to give him his full name, was the man who designed Kings Cross Station – and the Albert Memorial – both shining examples of splendid Victorian Gothic revival architecture

St Pancras Renaissance Hotel
Euston Rd
London
NW1 2AR

www.thegilbertscott.co.uk

Tags: Bars in Kings Cross, bars in NW1, Bars in St Pancreas, best hotel bars london, cocktail bars london, cocktails, gilbert scott, Hotel bars london, St Pancreas Rennaissance hotel

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In typical fashion the start of London Cocktail Week saw the end of a balmy Indian summer and the onset of wet and windy conditions more befitting a British autumn. So, what better place to head off to after collecting my snazzy London Cocktail Week wristband than the House of Peroni in Lincoln’s Inn?

Here, for one month only, in a beautifully proportioned Georgian townhouse, the famous Italian brewers have invited a bunch of very creative types to envision and recreate the style, fashion, flair and cuisine of Rome with a series of themed rooms over four floors. They’ve even created a formal Italian herb garden at the front, which was looking a little forlorn in the drizzle, but which will, I’m sure, blossom when the sun reappears.

They say all road lead to Rome but my road obviously led me straight to the bar – or bars as there is one on each floor. Along the way there were some exquisitely stylish rooms to admire. I’m no art critic, but the various geometric shapes, light shows, glass-blowing, sculpture and exquisite paper cut trees quite took my breath away.

So much so that I had to sit down, not once, but twice, and recover over a Peroni based cocktail. The first floor bar treated me to a deliciously refreshing VII hills infusion of Peroni Nastro Azzuro, lemon curd and spearmint, the second introduced me to the Nerone, an equally enticing blend of Peroni, chilli and passion fruit.

It may have been cold and grey outside, but inside I was living la dolce vita. The House of Peroni is open this October only at:

64 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, 
London 
WC2A 3JX

To find out more

http://thehouseofperoni.com

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It seems this could be the last night of our Indian summer. So, before wending my weary way home, what better place to stop off at than a small, crowded, candlelit, subterranean wine bar just a stone’s throw from Embankment Tube and Charing Cross Station?

The word institution is bandied around a lot when referring to any bar establishment that has been in business more than a couple of years. I do it myself quite regularly in fact. But Gordon’s is a real institution, proudly proclaiming itself as London oldest wine bar, having served generations of customers since 1890.

It has a fascinating history, with amongst others Rudyard Kipling living and writing in the same building. But a bar cannot exist on history alone and Gordon’s is a firm favourite with Londoners thanks to its extensive, award winning wine list and its equally impressive and renowned cheese board.

Both menus stretch almost as far as the tables that line Watergate Walk outside the bar. This is where the many, many patrons who don’t want to – or cannot – crowd into the tight space inside the bar – take their excellent wines to while away a few hours before either heading home or out for a night on the town.

Remember, this is not the place for lager, beer or spirits. If you want something with bubbles it will have to be champagne or sparkling wine. If you want something stronger then you can choose Port, Sherry or Madeira from the barrel or the bottle.

Gordons Wine bar

47 Villiers Street
London
WC2N 6NE

www.gordonswinebar.com

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The romance of train travel is usually lost when you’re squeezed onto the packed 6.42 to Norbiton on an unseasonably warm autumn evening.

But why suffer the squeeze when you can idle away a few hours enjoying the happy hour and train-themed ambience of great bar? A bar like Carriage 34 in fact.

Situated just a stone’s throw from Waterloo Station on Lower Marsh, Carriage 34 is decked out with a row of booths along one wall that resemble a US train carriage – including moving scenery taken from a New York train journey.

It strangely fascinating, watching New York slip by as you sip your drink. And the drinks are good – with all your favourite cocktail standards like Mojitos and Margaritas, a range of very moreish Martinis and some specials thrown in too, like the Waterloo Brew and Soul Train

2 for 1 Happy Hour runs from Sunday to Friday from opening until 8… just enough time to relax before your journey home. The only problem is your departure may be delayed not by signaling works but by your desire to stay for just one more…

Carriage 34 is at
34 Lower Marsh
London
SE1 7RG

www.carriage34.co.uk

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It’s one week to the start of London Cocktail Week. That leaves two options for your preparation…

The first is to have a week off, maybe detox a little, drinks lots of water, get a few early nights in and book a few recovery days off.

The second is to carry on as normal, enjoy a few drinks, then a few more, stay up late, drink loads of coffee and work on your ‘why I’m late this morning’ excuses.

After all, you wouldn’t want the shock and impact of a week devoted to everything that’s good about cocktails, throwing you off your game.

Hmmm… I know which I’ll be choosing.

More to the point now’s the time, if you haven’t already, to visit www.londoncocktailweek.com and order your LCW wristband. The princely sum of just £10 will get you cocktails for the decidedly bargain price of £4 at all sorts of great bars and pop-ups across the capital during the week.

You’ll also find all the details about participating bars, pop-ups, master-classes, events, offers and much more.

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A stunningly sunny autumn morning deserves equally stunning surroundings when you’re after a spot of breakfast. And the Wolseley is just such a place. Enter through the heavy, imposing door and you’re transported into a bustling, baroque interior that instantly takes you back to an earlier era of grandeur. The only incongruous note is the clientele, who are mostly tourists or well-heeled Londoners in a variety of lazy leisure wear. Top hats, frock coats and fancy dresses would have suited the place better.

The website recommends you book, especially during weekdays, when the Wolseley is home to a host of ravenous businessmen fuelling themselves for a day of deal-making. At the weekend there’s more of a ‘turn up and take your luck’ attitude – and we got the impression that the earlier you got there, the better your chance of being seated without a wait.

Once we were ensconced in a booth in the bar – perfect for us but, some might prefer being in the larger main room – service was attentive and immediate. There’s an ample selection of just about everything from a full English breakfasts to a selection of croissants and pastries. We settled for bacon rolls, fried eggs and pain au chocolate, washed down with spicy Virgin Mary’s, hot chocolate and black coffee.

The bill was more expensive than your local greasy spoon, but the surroundings were spectacular and somehow hangovers seemed to take heed and leave themselves at those ever-so elegant doors.

The Wolseley
160 Piccadilly
London W1J 9EB

http://www.thewolseley.com

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