This month’s Guest Editors, London Cocktail Week founders Hannah Sharman-Cox and Siobhán Payne, ask some quickfire questions
Your fave London cocktail bar for when you want a guaranteed great drink?
My own kitchen, because then I have everything I want, just how I like it. If you forced me to go out, well, I’d opt for The Dover in Mayfair – the drinks are great and the lighting makes everyone look so sexy – which is so important in a great bar. I also really love the new Martini Bar at Hawksmoor St Pancras – and not just because of the martinis!
Your go-to cocktail order?
It’s a martini – and I’m not just saying that! My preference is 5:1 of gin:vermouth with an olive and a twist. A year after the publication of my book, martinis still have my heart.


The 2026 bar opening you’re most looking forward to?
I’m a sucker for old school bars like Rules so I am excited to see what the bar will be like in Jeremy King’s revived Simpson’s in the Strand.
What’s In? A move back to simplicity. I don’t want to hear about the lab where the drink was created, I just want to enjoy a delicious drink.
What’s Out? Really long, wordy cocktail menus that require a glossary to understand!
Hannah Sharman-Cox and Siobhán Payne are this month’s Guest Editors and you can see all the content they’ve curated here.
