It's been a tough few months without our rockstar hospitality industry, but our fave bars haven't been sat on their arses doing nothing the last four months. Nuh-uh honey, they've been using the time wisely, tapping into their creativity, taking inspo from our experiences and coming up with some awesome new menus that are now waiting to coax you back out into the wild. We'll see ya out there, gang!
Lights. Camera. Action! There's a new menu going down at this Brixton bar, and it's overflowing with Summer blockbusters. Never ones to shy away from a pun, the S&S team have created a list of drinks that pay homage to silver screen faves. Sci-Fi nerds with a sweet tooth will dig the taste of the Mangolorian; a tropical blend of Dead Mans Fingers Mango Rum, Aluna Coconut Rum, Yuzu Sake, Ginger & Cardamom Shrub, Lime and Mango Leather, and while The Sazerac To The Future might not be fuelled by 1.21 gigawatts, it is rocking a powerful strike of Hennessey V.S. Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Yellow Chartreuse, Yellow Belly Bitters, complete with Delorian Fire Trails. Too many of those and you won't know where you are, let alone when.
As well as a kick-ass menu of drinks, you'll also find a new awesome pop-up, Fir, taking over the kitchen, serving up seasonal British cuisine with a fat emphasis on sustainability & foraged ingredients around the south of England. Their four-course set menu is yours for £35, and their vegan offering looks as tempting as the carnivorous. Hit them up Thursday to Saturday if you wanna pair epic dining with your drinking.
336 Coldharbour Ln, London SW9 8QH
There must be something in the water up in Crouch End, cos the squad at this neighbourhood bar have come up with yet another new menu that has us itching to get on a bus to North London to try it out. They've opted for elegant and easy drinking, but there's nothing easy about how these serves are made - there's a lotta skill that goes into the drinks here and everything is definitely not as it seems.
The Raspberry Highball sounds simple enough, 'til you learn it's made with Yoghurt washed Victory Vodka, Clarified Raspberry, Fermented Ginger, Capreolus Raspberry Eau de Vie and Soda; and of course their Margarita ain't just any Margarita. They use a Distilled House Preserved Blood Orange along with Volcán Tequila and Acid before finishing with zingy Blood Orange Salt to create their Moro Margarita. And don't panic if you've developed an addiction to their "Snickers" Old Fashioned (guilty!), cos that bestseller ain't going anywhere. They'd never be that cruel.
20 Broadway Parade, Crouch End, London N8 9DE
The Artesian bar team are known for some BIG imagination. Last year they tuned into the sweet nostalgia of disco drinks. This year, they're bringing what we've all craved the most to the table: connections. The award-winning team tapped into the shared experiences that brought us all together over the past year to come up with 18 awesome drinks, split over five individual identities:
Celebrations - expect plenty of Champagne and luxury in this indulgent collection of drinks to make up for all those events we missed the opportunity to celebrate;
Wellness and Mindfulness - a light and delicious collection of low and no ABV drinks with a selection of wellbeing ingredients included (expect CBD and Kombucha);
Community - a collection of killer drinks that support the local community around The Langham, London;
Sustainability - an environmentally friendly approach to the sourcing of ingredients and a hyper-seasonal twist on the drinks (we're talking upcycling the unwanted produce found in the hotel and turning it into usable and delicious ingredients);
Happiness - the last collection of cocktails designed to take guests to the exotic destinations, festivals and big events that were impossible throughout 2020. think fun, fruity and fresh - everything that'll put a smile on your face.
1C Portland Pl, Marylebone, London W1B 1JA
This City-based all-weather terrace is takin' ya on a trip this summer. The Devonshire Terrace has turned into a haven for healthy hedonism: a neon x pastel makeover with more florals than the Chelsea Flower Show & a CBD-laced cocktail menu to get you sippy and trippy. This is the Trip Terrace, baby.
Not had a CBD cocktail before? This is the chillest way to lose ya V plates. The crew at this Drake & Morgan venue have teamed up with Trip Drinks, makers of high-quality CBD infused cans with a vibey summer branding. Together they've created a menu of bespoke cocktails each containing 15mg CBD. If that doesn't sound like the perfect end-of-the-day stress reliever to you, you're trippin', honey. We took a trip to Cloud Nine with a refreshing blend of Beefeater pink gin, Campari, apple and Elderflower & Mint before getting up close and personal with a Sunset Crush - a romantic blend of Tanqueray Seville gin perfectly paired with Peach & Ginger TRIP.
Devonshire Terrace, Devonshire Square, London, EC2M 4WY
The Italians know how to live their best lives; a passionate bunch who aren't afraid to take it easy, letting long relaxing days give way to fun, indulgent nights of putting cheese on pretty much anything and serving carbs with a side of carbs. Now the Dalloway Terrace decorators are doing an Italian job on their alfresco dining room with a seasonal make-over for the summer, complete with a new drinks menu featuring Amalfi lifestyle-inspired Malfi Gin. Remember what we said about indulgent nights?
Are you in Bloomsbury or a sun-baked lemon grove flourished with aromatic Italian foliage and bursting with vibrant lemons alongside a statement water feature? Both, baby. Once again this bloggers-favourite terrace has gone through a Stars In Their Eyes style transformation, reimagining itself for Summer as an Italian paradise in the heart of London. The perfect setting for a sundowner amidst citrus accents and soothing palates. The new menu of playful concoctions includes the Spritz ME made with Malfy Limone, Supasawa, Masala Chai Te, Banana Liqueur, Fig Liqueur and Electric bitters; and the Capri Martini with Malfy Originale, dry Vermouth and Basil Oil. Mamma mia, this is the holiday you need.
There's a tranquil corner of Greek Street that, for this summer, might not be quite so tranquil. The Soho icons of whisky have opened The Terrace, a walk-in only 20 cover seating area overlooking the leafy Soho square, and on it, they're serving an epic new creative menu of refreshing whisky-based drinks.
Their ‘cocktail culture’ hard seltzers were a big hit over lockdown, so they're staying put and being joined by three brand new draft cocktail taps, serving a rotating menu of hand-picked Highballs in partnership with some of Milroys’ favourite whiskies. Aberfeldy 12 Single Malt is kicking off the series with a homemade cardamom & watermelon soda, alongside two classic soda pairings with Nikka and Milroys Select of Great King Street. The Terrace menu will also be served indoors at the iconic whisky shop bar, and if walking around Soho with a drink in hand is more your vibe, you can grab one to takeaway.
3 Greek St, London W1D 4NX
After a year spent inside wearing elasticated waistbands, it's time to reinstate a bit of glam to your life. And we know exactly where to find it. The Glamour Is Back is the chic new menu of classic cocktails reinterpreted with some v. fancy flourishes at Mayfair's subterranean glamour palace, Quaglinos. With serves like the White Truffle Negroni made with Tanqueray 10, Luxardo Bitter, Cocchi Americano Washed Truffle Oil, and the Bury Boulevard blend of Woodford Reserve, Campari, Belsazar dry, Chamomile Liqueur, Orange Bitter, this menu is pulling out all the stops for a next-level return to luxury.
They've even worked their magic to create a limited-edition cocktail designed to honour the life of Prince Philip & his visits to Quaglinos back in the day. Yeah, the man knew how to party. The Duke's Strength blends together ingredients that nod to the Prince's career, heritage & fave cocktails: Plymouth Gin Navy Strength washed with Greek olive oil, Belsazar vermouth dry, clarified tomato consommé and pickled cherry tomato creates a hybrid Bloody Mary + Martini... turns out Prince Philip was def a man after BarChick's heart.
16 Bury St, St. James's, London SW1Y 6AJ
This menu will satisfy your need for a killer cocktail and that desire you've been feeling to observe London in all her glory from very high up. You've been separated from both for long enough, right? So rock up to the 32nd floor of The Shard for Oblix's new menu and you'll tick off both.
Lockdown was the perfect opportunity for a dose of personal reinvention, so that's what the bar crew have done with a selection of classic cocktails. Slide in for a dose of Risky Business - a hat tip to the Long Island Iced Tea and a potent celebration of all things agave using Casamigos tequila Blanco, Resposado, Anejo, mezcal, orange curacao, lemon, agave, salt & coca-cola; or give the Bubble Gum Martini and chance to blow your mind with its blend of Tanqueray London dry gin, rhubarb, lemongrass, lemon, egg whites and bubble smoke. Of course, we don't think there's a drinker in this city that wouldn't be down with sipping a cocktail from a replica of The Shard itself, so we'll be getting our hands on Born a Star comprised of CÎROC Vodka, blood orange, passion fruit and citrus, and topped with sparkling wine.
Floor 32, The Shard, 31 St Thomas St, London SE1 9RY
The Venning bros def know how to spoil us. They kept us in epic bottled cocktails throughout lockdown, and now to mark the reopening of their award-winning Kingsland Road bar, they've launched a sick new collection of Spring cocktails to drink at their place - and you won't be surprised to know that these siblings have smashed it outta the park with these fresh new creations.
Newcomers include the pimped up Whisky Ginger made with Suntory Toki, pickled ginger & soda; and the Blackcurrant Americano mix of Americano, blackcurrant leaf & soda; and if sipping on those new serves ignites a hunger in ya, you'll be able to hit up their guest sandwich special made with the crew at ‘From The Ashes BBQ’. We have a hunch that the Apricot Brand created with Seven Tails brandy, cloud tea & apricot will go epically with the smoked pork shoulder with siracha sauce kepie, smoked garlic and pickled cucumber, all served with pork fat potatoes and garlic mayo. You'll wanna hop to it though, cos that 'wich is available for 1 month only.
510b Kingsland Rd, London E8 4AB