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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Of course, as you might expect from people dedicated to bars, cocktails are our thing. Beer has been a bit of a mystery to us… especially those real ales beloved of your original beardy CAMRA types who proudly sported the hirsute look long before hipsters stole their whole vibe.

But when you’re taking out Uncle Rory – whose love of beards and chunky sweaters is only matched by his capacity for sinking ‘proper’ beer – you have to find a bar that gives you the best of all worlds. Which is why we found ourselves at the Draft House on Northcote Road in Clapham’s ‘Nappy Valley’.

The Draft House is one of a small chain of pubs dedicated to, as the name suggests, real beers. Some of these are so good they are more like “witchcraft” rather than craft. They certainly had the power to alter reality. The staff were helpful and knowledgeable about their wares which range from beers, stouts and lager on draught to a wide variety of bottled beers from Britain and around the world. I mean where else would you find a powerful bottle of beer that delights under the name of Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter?

I tried a delicious stout called Camden Ink which made a welcome change from the ubiquitous Guinness. Uncle Rory supped on local Wandle Ale. Also on offer was a very interesting little gin shot called an Up and Under – made by the Draft House Crew in honour of the 6 nations and infused with botanicals representing each of the competitor nations. It had the faint aroma of bubble bath – no doubt due to the herbal essences in it, but tasted delicious.

Beer is filling, but real food sometimes needs to be taken on board too. So it is fortunate that the Draft House has a fully functioning restaurant serving up a variety of hearty food. We dined on chilli hot dogs, ably accompanied with chips and delicious ‘foot-long pork scratchings’. All in all, a warmly welcoming and thoroughly enjoyable destination that even us fancy bar lovers love.

The Draft House, Clapham
94 Northcote Road,
London
SW11 6QW

www.drafthouse.co.uk

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Now the Hixter bar in Southwark is good for lots of reasons. It’s stylish, chic, dark, sexy and it’s got a large sunken bar with low bar stools around it that make you feel the size of a giant and the bar staff the size of Oompa Loompas (although they’re much better looking, much friendlier and much better informed when it comes to creating and dishing up delicious drinks.)

The drinks are great, as you’d expect from a bar crated by Mark Hix, one of the leading lights of London’s restaurant and bar scene. A refreshing Innis Gunn Scottish lager, aged in whiskey barrels provided instant refreshment and banished thoughts of McEwans from my mind for ever.

As it was a cold, wet and windy night outside, and the faint whispers of Scotch were already floating around in my head, Marks Mr Nice cocktail followed, a warm, syrupy and fortifying mixture of peaty Talisker single malt whiskey, Pedro Ximenez sherry and orange bitters.

But back to the bar… what I really liked about it more than anything was that my mobile didn’t work within its basement boundaries. Which means no one to call with unwelcome requests to get on with work… and no calls about that PPI fortune that’s just waiting for you to claim. Instead you can just kick back, sink into a soft, welcoming leather sofa and take a break from the world outside as it rushes by.

Of course, the bar gets busy on occasions, as it should do… In trendy ‘Bankside’, formerly known as Southwark, it’s got everything a hipster would love – including a genuine bar billiards table. So, expect a certain degree of trendy beardiness, creative artistry and media luvviness. But that’s no bad thing, it’s bright young sparks like this that keep the London bar scene going strong. They may feel a little lost without their mobile connection, but there’s always WiFi, so they won’t get withdrawal symptoms while the rest of us enjoy our night of booze, billiards and bonhomie.

HIXTER BANKSIDE is at
16 Great Guildford Street,
SE1 0HS

 www.hixterbankside.co.uk

Tags: bars in london, Bars in SE1, Best Bars London, hixter bankside, mark his, marks bar

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Trailer Happiness has been winning many happy fans ever since it opened its doors in Portobello Road. You can see easily see why. To start with the staff and owners are so friendly and laid back you feel you’ve stepped into a support group rather than a bar. Albeit one with its own unique decor, vibe and supply of rum based beverages.

Because this is a Tiki bar, a perfectly formed example of a phenomena that somehow originated in the post prohibition California of the 1930s. Apparently, as an ever helpful waitress explained, some bars of the time began adopting a Polynesian vibe with bamboo furniture, exotic masks, kitsch pictures, loud shirts and rum based cocktails featuring the flavours of a variety of exotic fruits. Perhaps it was an attempt to brighten the gloom that the recent ban on alcohol had laid over the whole nation. More likely it was intrepid travellers bringing back and integrating the styles and tastes they had discovered during their sojourns in the South Pacific.

Trailer Happiness has resurrected the Tiki bar and taken it to a new level of tasty trendiness that leaves behind your Trader Vic’s of this world (although we can’t help but have a soft spot for Trader’s based solely on a childhood visit to the Hilton Hotel outpost on Park Lane that was so unbelievably different from 70s London it was like being on another planet)

You descend into its subterranean home to find low lighting and low comfortable seating ideal for a little slouching and supping of strong drinks. Trailer happiness, as a good Tiki bar, should, devotes itself to the finest in Rum based cocktails. The kindly barman, wearing a very fetching Hawaiian shirt that belied the cold wet weather, outside recommended a trailer Colada – literally smoking rum concoction, created with the help of a blow torch and served up in hollowed out coconut husk, adorned with a smouldering incense stick. This went down very well with my companion.

After a hard evening’s toil the previous night reviewing bar after bar in Borough I was feeling a little fragile and was kindly pointed in the direction of a Hemingway Daiquiri, which eschewed the traditional cocktail sweetness and replaced it with a little saltiness – apparently the perfect way to counteract the effects of a hangover. I think it worked. After a couple I certainly felt a lot better.

We arrived early and could have stayed very late. As the bar began to fill up we felt more and more at home, unfortunately duty called and more bars beckoned. But to paraphrase Arnold Schwarzenegger, another fan of loud Hawaiian shirts: “We’ll be back”

177 Portobello Rd
London
W11 2DY

www.trailerhappiness.com

Tags: bars in london, Best Bars London, Best Bars Nottinghill, Best Bars W11, Trailer Happiness, Trailer Happiness review

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Bars are going up in the world. No self-respecting skyscraper can hold its head up in polite company without its own swanky drinking hole/come restaurant boasting sweeping views over the city below.

London is full of them, from The Shard to Millbank Tower, all vie with each other on the views front. But with so many bars with breath-taking vistas, what separates the giants from the pygmies?

I suppose it’s a matter of taste – and if there’s one thing that City Social has in abundance it’s taste. Still relatively new amongst the pantheon of sky-high bars it sits on the 42nd floor of what was once the Nat West Tower, but which has now be rechristened Tower 42.

Down on ground level it has it’s own entrance where you get the first inkling of the experience waiting above. This initial retro look it slightly belied by the brightly illuminated lift that propels you to your destination, but once you arrive you are immediately immersed into a pageant of dark and decadent art deco style embellished with just a touch of gold leaf glamour.

If you visit after the sun has set you’ll find its dark in here, really, dark. And that’s good because it makes the amazing views of the city that surrounds all the more impressive. And it encourages louche be habitué amongst the luxury. The bar itself occupies a central position and patrons are welcome to prop it up. But most opt for a window seat or one of the wide semi circular booths that ring the room and provide a perfect home for larger parties.

As there were just the two of us we opted for a table for two by the window and for a while just sat admiring the brightly lit city views and repeating skyscraper cliches along the lines of ‘gosh, the buses down there look like toys’ and ‘the people are as small as ants’.

The well informed and very helpful waiter then talked us through the cocktail menu and pointed us in the direction of appropriately refreshing concoctions. A Cocchi Buck served in a small pewter tankard was suitably stimulating, whilst a Forest Rum was an amusingly sophisticated treat. Delectable plates of grilled squid, pork empanadas and spicy prawn crackers helped take the edge of our hunger and were rounded off by a glasses of Rittenhouse Rye that the ever helpful waiter kindly directed us towards.

So, our verdict? A big up for City Social. Dark, decadent, delicious and undeniably glamorous.

City Social is at 
Tower 42,
25 Old Broad Street,
London
EC2N 1HQ

www.citysociallondon.com

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Bourne and Hollingsworth Buildings, or B&H for short, is a relatively new addition to a well-loved stable of eclectic and eccentric bars that include Bourne and Hollingsworth’s eponymous basement bar in the West End, The Reverend WJ Simpson and the Blitz Bar.

The new Bourne and Hollingsworth Buildings are on a slightly larger scale, encompassing a bar, brasserie, conservatory and private rooms. Styled on an English country house, the overall effect is effortlessly elegant, tasteful and tranquil… even when it’s busy and bustling. It’s light, airy, comfortable and to us, seems a little bit cool colonial. Imagine an empire-era, jewel in the crown, ex-pat club with eclectic modern touches and accents.

Bars are our thing and we love the one here… its got a character all it’s own that goes against the grain of many of its contemporaries. It’s not a bar for secret liaisons, it has no dark corners for illicit trysts. It’s not expensively anodyne like so many hotel bars. Nor following a formula like so many chains. And it’s not a low down dirty drinking den (much as we like them as well).

It’s a bar for lounging louchely in. Apart from the seats at the bar, it’s all low cocktail chairs and banquettes, ideal for slowly settling into with friends over a few drinks. And those drinks are very, very moreish. The cocktails, whether they are the bar’s own renowned creative concoctions or classic recipes, are all carefully prepared by knowledgeable staff.

As a nod to the dryathlon we started with one alcoholic and one non- alcoholic cocktail. Of course, I had the onerous task of downing the full strength option, a delicious tequila, mescal and cucumber combination. It was refreshingly light and lethally lovely, instantly banishing any bad memories that drinking too much Mexican spirit too quickly in my younger years had created. My companion was on the winter wagon, so the bartender kindly created a bespoke mocktail that mixed grapefruit juice, green tea puree, cucumber and lime in perfectly delicious proportions.

The say the more the merrier and this is certainly true when you are drinking cocktails. We didn’t want to leave, and as always we wanted to return immediately. It got us thinking that in the old days when B&H was mentioned it was normally in relation to a certain brand of cigarette. Now B&H is simply one of our favourite bars – but when all’s said and done it’s still smoking.

Bourne & Hollingsworth Buildings is at 
42 Northampton Road
Clerkenwell
EC1R 0HU

www.bourneandhollingsworth.com/bandbuildings/

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They call it the Dryathlon… we prefer Banuary… or the Winter Wagon. Anyway it involves keeping off the booze during January in order to a) recover from your Christmas excesses b) save money and C) maybe even donate a little to charity.

All very admirable if you’re into that kind of thing. Personally the thought of facing a cold, wet January with nothing to warm yourself with other than the box set of Mad Men, doesn’t sound very appealing.

For people like us, dedicated to downing one or more fine cocktails as often as possible, going not-so-wild-turkey would probably be too much of a shock for our systems to bear.

In fact, January is one of our favourite months for visiting bars. This is mainly because most of them are simply delighted to see you as their regular punters stay away in a desperate attempt to stick to their New Year’s resolutions for health, wealth and sobriety.

More than that, many bars actively encourage you to drop in for a drink or two with some seriously tempting offers and happy hours. And finally, many of the busiest, crowded bars have room to breath, find a seat, enjoy the surroundings and engage the staff in detailed conversation about weighty matters such as how to make the perfect Martini and whether Gin really does make you depressed.

However, in the interest of fairness, if you are embarking on the Dryathlon we thought we’d serve you up with our suggestions for the best alcohol free cocktails around.

1) – to start with, The Beaufort at the Savoy are taking the sting out of going on the wagon with their “Bees Buzz” cocktail, consisting of pressed apple juice, honey, ginger beer, essential almond oil and lime.

www.fairmont.com/savoy-london/dining/beaufortbar/

2) – Galvin at Windows, as well as having great views over London also has some great mocktails, amongst them the deliciously fruity Orion Orion. This full cup of mixed berry fruits, stirred with equal part of vanilla syrup and lemon and topped up with a generous splash of ginger ale certainly sweetens the alcohol free deal

www.galvinatwindows.com/bars-in-london/cocktails-london/ 

3) –  One of our favourite bars in town, the Zetter Town House is offering a deliciously refreshing Dandelion Lemonade made with dandelion tincture, sugar, lemon juice and lemonade. This is one dandelion which will blow you away and help you pass the time.

www.thezettertownhouse.com/cocktail-lounge/

4) – If you’re after a mocktail that takes you away from the cold, wet winter then head for the Bassoon bar at the Corinthia Hotel which is offering a tasty, tropical, alcohol free Maui made with Passion Fruit, Apple Juice, Rose Marmalade and Ginger Beer.

www.corinthia.com/hotels/london/dining-and-bars/bars/bassoon-bar

5) Everything seems to be about the cloud these days – so why shouldn’t your alcohol free cocktail be the same? All Star Lanes are offering their very own Cloudy Berry – a cheerful crimson combination of raspberry, cranberry, elderflower and lemon juice.

www.allstarlanes.co.uk/venues/holborn/food-drink/temperance/

So, enjoy your dryathlon if you can. In the meantime we are trying to coin a phrase for the drinking man’s January. So, far we’ve only come up with Dramuary, can you think of anything better?

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London is not just a city blessed with great bars. It’s a city brimming with clubs… from the old and esteemed such as Whites and Boodles, to the new and trendy such as Soho House and The Library. There are clubs for Ex Public School boys, artists, actors, writers, media types, motorists, bankers, directors, hipsters and heavy drinkers.

And there are still great, old established clubs that most people won’t know about, but which remain warm, welcoming and still very grand havens from the hustle and bustle of London life. The Lansdowne Club is one of these. Its delightful C18^th Robert Adam designed home close to Berkeley Square, was once owned by Gordon Selfridge, founder of the eponymous department store.

As a club with a penchant for the sporting world, one of its crowing glories, added shortly after it became a club in the 1930s, is an exquisite art deco basement swimming pool. Of course you ‘ll have to be lucky enough to have a friend who is a member – or to be a member yourself – to enjoy a plunge in their pool. If you do, you can then relax and reward yourself for your physical endeavours with a drink in their Aqua Bar.

The balcony of the Lansdowne Aqua Bar overlooks the 25 metre pool and both have been scrupulously maintained with all their stunning original 1930s features. While the Aqua bar offers a simple food and drinks menu, the view of the amazing pool with keen types ploughing lengths up and down is truly invigorating.

If you want a wider selection of high quality cocktails you can retire to the Lansdowne’s Round Room and if you need some sustenance to soak it all up a formal gourmet experience is available in the dining room.

So, we heartily recommend you cultivate a friendship with a member and experience life in clubland. And, if you can spare the quite reasonable membership costs and meet the entrance criteria, you could even make it a home from home in the heart of the West End.

www.lansdowneclub.com

The Lansdowne Club is at
9 Fitzmaurice Place
Mayfair, London
W1J 5JD

Tags: aqua bar, bar reviews, best swims london, lansdowne club, london bars

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Commuting can be a chore at the best of times… And once upon a time, in a more, (or is that less) enlightened time, the custodians of our public transport knew that. They cared for us and wanted our journeys to be better, more enjoyable experiences.

So they did stuff like put bars on, or in, tube stations. Sloane Square had a lovely little pub on the westbound platform. Well, when I say lovely, I mean it had a pub on the west bound station, which while not being a on a par with the American Bar at the Savoy, did serve its purpose well… Allowing weary shoppers and workers to have a stiffener before heading home.

I suppose at some point health and safety stepped in with concerns about inebriated travellers stepping out of the platform and onto the live tracks. Or the bar simply wasn’t making enough money. Whatever. It’s gone now.

Of course train stations still know the power of a well timed drink…

Most of the big ones manage to pack in at least one or two bars. Some like the snazzy new St Pancras international are positively brimming with swish establishments. Others like Waterloo, which while surrounded by bars in the close environs, still relegate their own bar offering to a subterranean circle of hell down some dingy steps that gives you the impression that you’re descending to the gents loos.

To give Waterloo their credit though, they have made an effort to improve matters with a new mezzanine floor. But you get the feeling this isn’t about catering to the needs of travellers, and more about relieving them of lots of their cash before they embark on their overpriced train journeys.

My advice? First and foremost it’s don’t drink pints before getting on the train… it ends in tears! Or a forced exit in search of a loo, or a long walk through a crowded train on the hunt for the one loo, which, if it is working fills you with the dread that the door will open at any time and expose you to the derision of other passengers.

Other than that, it’s every man and woman for themselves!

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In that 1980s ode to excess that is Pretty Woman, Richard Gere’s character, before taking prostitute-with-a-heart-of-gold Vivienne to the Opera, spins her some line about people either loving or hating the Opera the first time they see it. Fair enough, you just better hope your first opera isn’t Tosca, an opera of monumental sadness even within a genre that specialises in tragedy.

But one thing I can safely say about the opera is that if you visit the Paul Hamlyn Hall Champagne Bar at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden you will love it forever. It is simply stunning… and what’s more stunning is that so few people actually know that Joe Public doesn’t have to book a ticket to the Opera to enjoy it.

So, why the song and dance about the bar? Well, it’s in an amazing space. An enormous, towering atrium protected and illuminated by a vaulted glass ceiling high overhead. The bar itself sits at one end of this impressive space beneath a vast, optical illusion inducing mirror. Not only does this seem to double the already generous space, but high above, it gives the impression that the pod like amphitheatre bar is suspended in mid air with no discernible means of entry other than a pair of wings.

This is a champagne bar and in this glorious space, within one of London’s cultural powerhouses, that is only appropriate. Fine fizz of all types is available by the glass or bottle. If you have an appetite for food as well as champagne and culture, surrounding the bar on the mezzanine floor is the excellent Amphitheatre Restaurant and Bar.

If you’ve never been, make sure this is on your to-do list. It’s a magical, memorable place for a drink… with or without the opera thrown in. And while you raise a glass, you should also offer a toast in memory of the late publisher Paul Hamlyn, who gifted the Royal Opera House £10 million to refurbish this breathtakingly beautiful space.

Open for special events or book for afternoon tea

The Champagne bar at the Royal Opera House is at

Royal Opera House
Bow Street
Covent Garden
London
WC2E 9DD

 www.roh.org.uk/visit/restaurants-and-bars

Tags: bars in Covent Garden, Bars London, Best Bars London, Paul Hamlyn bar, royal opera house

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