Rules restaurant in Covent Garden is where old duffers go to eat game and talk about hip replacements. But if you squeeze past the liveried doorman & head up the side stairs you’ll find a fantastically camp old school gentleman’s cocktail bar; no need to have a dinner reservation. It’s all dark wood, soft crimson fabrics & a roaring open fire.

Classic cocktails are king here, and the back bar is well stocked with boutique booze brands so you'll always find something interesting. The bartenders are some of London's friendliest, so just tell them what you feel like and leave yourself in their skilled hands - classics come in all sorts of interesting ways. It's usually quiet up here, and they don't play any music, so don't come expecting a lively atmosphere, it's BarChick's favourite place for meetings or serious chats with great drinks. Best bit is that you get a slab of stilton to go with your drinks. Random, salty and fattening: just how we like it. Try a Gibson Martini, it's served with silverskin onions, not olives.