Aching for a holiday but spanked all your paid leave in the first couple of months of the year? We feel ya. In times like these, BarChick turns to cocktails to curb these cravings. We suggest you head to ZELA and do the same.

It might be a hotel restaurant and bar on The Strand, but trust us when we say it doesn’t feel like it. Inside it's Tiki tropical paradise. Wicker chairs, bamboo, palm print, and tons of leafy foliage give this a Bora Bora vibe. Then there’s the menu. Drinks and dishes are a hybrid of Japanese and Mediterranean cuisine. Are you in Asia, Spain or French Polynesia?! Don’t bother picking, just soak it all up, baby!

The cocktails are served with fun and flair, so expect extravagant glassware/smoke/garnishes. Why not mix it up with a Sangria that includes Veuve Clicquot, ginger and yuzu? BarChick approves. Especially when you also get stuck into the menu. Sea bass sushi with pancetta? Scallop with sobrasada? It might sound random but hey, it worked for us. There’s one thing left to do. Order a ‘Liquid dessert’, lounge back, and sip your way to sunshine. Just ignore those red buses going by outside.