London’s five best new cocktail bars

21^st April 2017

Virginia Clark

Virginia Clark

21 April 2017

Tired of relying on the same old spots for your Negronis and Manhattans? There’s a lot to be said for familiarity, but the best thing about the cocktail scene is its insatiable appetite for novelty and reinvention, and in London that’s showing no signs of slowing down. Whether you’re looking for luxurious elegance, modern simplicity, or outrageous fun, we’ve got the five best cocktail bars that have just opened their doors. Time to get out there and try something new!

Untitled

Untitled in Hackney is the new venture from Tony Conigliaro, the cocktail impresario behind 69 Colebrooke Row and Bar Termini. Taking its cue from Andy Warhol’s legendary studio the Silver Factory, Untitled is at the intersection of art and drinking. Come for the sexy, minimalist design, the revolving roster of art installations, and a carefully edited menu of inventive concept cocktails – try Snow, which aims to replicate the experience of drinking, you guessed it, snow.

To book a table at Untitled, 538 Kingsland Road London E8 4AH, call 07841 022 924 or visit here.

Swift

This Soho bar is the brainchild of another venerable cocktail team, this time the couple behind Oriole and Nightjar. They’ve joined up with fellow legendary bartending couple Bobby Hiddleston and Mia Johansson to bring you this sumptuous Art Deco venue. Upstairs is a more casual European-style standing bar designed for passers-by to pop in for an aperitif and a snack, while downstairs is reservations only and features a list of drinks you’ll really want to linger over.

To book a table at Swift, 12 Old Compton St Soho London W1D 4TQ, call 020 7437 7820 or visit here.

Bōkan

Cocktail bars can often be rather cramped affairs in dark basements – not so Bōkan, which sprawls over the 38^th floor of a Canary Wharf tower with 360° views of London. The industrial setting – all reclaimed timber and concrete floors – mingles with elegant vintage décor and comfortable sofas to create a bar you can actually spread out in. The cocktail list takes inspiration from the docks below. Try the Berth Wine with Bourbon, Amaro Lucano, Cinnamon and Rue Syrup for a taste of naval history.

To book a table at Bōkan, Floor 37-39 40 Marsh Wall London E14 9TP, call 020 3530 0550 or visit here.

Scout

Seasonal and local produce are at the heart of this new Hoxton bar from Matt Whlley, the bartender behind Bethnal Green’s Peg + Patriot. The drinks menu is short, sweet, and highly considered: just ten cocktails alongside a selection of beers and natural wines. The food menu aims to reduce waste by making use of the same ingredients of the cocktails, and it’s all served in a sleek space which combines rustic wood with modern concrete.

To book a table at Scout, 93 Great Eastern Street London EC2A 3HZ, visit here. 

Bobby Fitzpatrick 

And now for something a little different. This new bar, which takes as its theme the rum-soaked adventures of fictional buccaneer Bobby Fitzpatrick, is livening up West Hampstead with its flamboyant 1970s/Caribbean setting. Take a seat in the “kitchen”, the “lounge” or the “living room”, and drink in Bobby’s life story with an Alison Mahoney, named after his date to senior prom, or a student-style Sanford University with vodka and a cherry cola reduction. 

To book a table at Bobby Fitzpatrick, 273 West End Lane London NW6 1QS, call 020 7433 1989 or visit here.

Virginia Clark