London’s Best Cocktails
Ah, so many cocktails – so little time.
Where then to go when time wisely spent is more precious than your health?
Where are London’s best cocktails?
Using the yardstick by which, in our world, all other cocktails are measured (the Dirty Martini or, to us pre-social media types, the DM) we reveal the very finest places in London to part with both your cash – and your sobriety.
Incidentally, cocktail prices in this town are a strange one.
It costs the same to stand in Covent Garden Piazza and grab a cocktail from a parked-up street vendor as it does to sit comfortably on the unique terrace of the Royal Opera House and look down on the folk buying them. Hell, you can even see The London Eye and Nelson’s Column from up here – and you don’t need a ticket to the opera! Work that out.
The Piazza Terrace – The Royal Opera House (credit Dom Clough)
OK – so where should you go?
The Perseverance in Lisson Grove (they say Marylebone but hey), just around the corner from one of London’s most famous chippies – The Sea Shell – is owned and managed by David who produces theatrical fun cocktails in a relaxed, laid-back atmosphere. Sometimes there’s jazz; often dry ice. It’s not a large place so perhaps book a table. Just don’t try ringing as there’s no phone number. God knows why.
A Dirty Martini at The Perseverance, Marylebone
At the other end of the spectrum, I give you 45 Jermyn Street and The Goring Hotel.
Go to 45 for the spectacle of wealth supporting the economy with a generosity that escapes the means of ordinary folk. Sit at the bar and watch each drink being built. Frankly, the DM isn’t that good. For some reason the house gin is East London Gin which demonstrably makes a very dull DM. The Fortnum & Mason gin from upstairs is slightly better – but still no cigar. Ask for something else. Remember though, the reason you’re at 45 is to ingratiate yourself into the spondie vibe before indecorously falling off your stool.
A Dirty Martini at 45 Jermyn Street
For real class, go to London’s friendliest hotel, just around the corner from Buck House. So many London hotels seem to think friendliness has to earned by their guests. The Goring, with every right to arrogance and entitlement, displays neither. The cocktail lounge is tranquil, sedate and the drinks superb. Morgan, the bar manger, suggested a rather lovely Italian gin for the DM (the name, like so many others, lost in the trials of research) and the accompanying nibbles set it all off rather well. Yes – nibbles! Lovely nibbles. None at 45. Refill at The Goring. Work that out.
Dirty Martini and Nibbles at The Goring
For somewhere midway between these two bastions of taste (both figuratively and literally) try The Dean Street Town House. Its all rather more ordinary in a country house by numbers sort of a way but it’s rather nice – a good place to pop in after something, or before something, or in the hope of something. Sit at the bar for the usual friendly banter or grab a table to watch the creative world at work, (or rather, eating) as you’ll have a great view of the restaurant.
Dirty Martini at Dean Street Town House
For the best hands down DM there’s Sheekey’s. But it’s an underwhelming place, busy, with little time for you or anyone else. And you have to eat something too. Pointless when you could be drinking. Yes, you might see an after show actor or two, but if you’re a tourist, you won’t have a clue anyway. Just say you saw Michael Gambon there once and don’t bother to go. It’s probably not worth the struggle.
Definitely avoid The Wolseley. Sure your friends bang on about it, but then they probably miss the pre-pandemic days of the rush hour, those happy days guaranting an evil scented random armpit cloaked in Issey Miyake L’eau d’Aisselle rubbing your olfactory bits on the way home. And Langan’s? Oh, please! The cocktail bar is crammed into the lobby beneath the stairs with all the pizzazz of an accountant sweating his assets. And the nibbles? £4.50 more to nibble the accountant’s smokey nuts!
Just don’t.
When looking for London’s best cocktails, have some self respect.
Pop over instead to The Beaumont Hotel bar (the main bar – which they ripped the soul out of in 2022 but not yet the piano – and not the new cramped, noisy money spinning Magritte bar. Unless you like that sort of thing.)
Or The Connaught. Two main bars. I prefer the Coburg, but that’s just me.
Or Quaglino’s for the theatre of the place.
Your soul will thank you.
Dirty Martini at Quaglino – no nibbles!
And if you’re looking in October, check out London Cocktail Week which isn’t a week as it’s longer so you could well be lucky (and it’s not only about cocktails, it’s about other stuff – oh, and it’s held in Skegness – wherever that is).
Whatever you do, where ever you cocktail (yes – it is a verb) tell us.
by Chris Parkinson