5 of the Best: Quirky Bars in London This Summer 2019By Iona Goulder
The sun is out, the offices are emptying out and the bars are spilling out onto the streets. Yep, summer has arrived in London and there’s never been a better choice of pop-ups, experiences and venues to get everything from a glass of rose to a botanic cocktail in a jar. The only issue is deciding where to go. Don’t worry we’ve done some of the hard work (trust us it was very hard) for you and here are five of the best bars to go for the new, the different and the definitely delicious:
1. Zetter Townhouse: Punches and Potions
For the first time in eight years, The Zetter Townhouse’s two award-winning cocktail bars are re-launching with a brand new drinks concept. The new partners, Matt Whiley (The Talented Mr Fox) and Rich Woods (The Cocktail Guy) have worked closely with The Zetter Townhouses, creating two collections of drinks for both the Marylebone and Clerkenwell bars. The menus from both townhouses have been created focusing on ten ingredients known for their unique, therapeutic benefits: Catnip, Palo Santo, Pollen, Sandlewood, Vetiver, Quartz, Clary Sage, Yarrow, St. John’s Wort and Elf Oil. It’s an unusual list of ingredients that pay homage to the adventures of The Zetter Townhouses’ fictional proprietors and have been conscientiously sourced and explored to create an intriguing list of deliciously inventive cocktails.
2. Murder Inc: Hanaway Street
One of our favourite quirky bars in London – hidden down one of London’s famous drinking streets, Murder Inc takes inspiration from the gangster noir of the 1940s ands 50s, the décor and style of the bar combined industrial New York with mid-century glamour. The drinks at Murder Inc has the tongue in cheek theatricality that The Cocktail Trading Co. has become known for, but with a simpler, more refined sense of style. The cocktail menu features evocative take on cocktails like the notorious Death In The Afternoon, served as an on-tap blend of Pernod Absinthe, agave-ginger sherbet.
3. Hidden Jazz Club: The Shard
This one is as much about the setting and the music as it is the drinks. The View from The Shard is playing host to an exclusive series of late night, open-air performances curated by Hidden Jazz Club, London’s innovative new musical concept and Airbnb’s #1 Global Music Experience. The after-hours event begins with guests being welcomed to take in the incredible views of the city from the Skydeck on the 72nd floor, before being seated for a live jazz performance. A nomadic jazz collective who take over unusual spaces – from shipping container villages to tunnels beneath railway stations – Hidden Jazz Club is intimate and unpretentious while playing host to some of the UK’s most talented musicians. Tickets are priced from £40 per person.
4. Arcade Food Theatre: Centre Point
Photo credit: Arcade Food Theatre
Opening this July on the ground floor of London’s iconic Centre Point building, Arcade Food Theatre is a unique, all-day food and drink concept bringing together an exciting and diverse collection of innovative restaurant brands from across London. The 12,500 square foot, Grade II-listed space features six independent ground-floor kitchens, a coffee and bakery counter, three conceptualised bars, an outdoor terrace and ‘The Loft’, an incubation-focused mezzanine kitchen space showcasing some of the city’s most exciting emerging culinary concepts. Arcade’s three bars will showcase a broad menu of bespoke cocktails, craft beer and wine, developed exclusively for Arcade by some of London’s most sought-after mixologists.
5. Bottles & Battles: Mercato Metropolitano
There’s no shortage of great bars and restaurants in Mercato Metropolitano. However, if you want to escape the crowds and, frankly, if it’s raining, Bottles & Battles is a cosy secluded spot in the heart of the market that channels a traditional Italian wine bar. The team here are constantly searching for the finest independent, classic, original producers of first class wines. This all enables them to offer a varied wine list that is not only interesting but also high quality and reasonably priced.
