Drink
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The Clapton wine bar formerly known as P.Franco had quite the 2023 – in mid-March, the beloved site suddenly closed (as did sibling sites Noble Fine Liquor and Bright due to financial negligence on the part of the parent company). Thankfully manager Will Gee fought the good fight and managed to bring P.Franco back through a crowdfunding campaign, though it’s now trading under the name 107 (hopefully only temporarily). The name may be new but the ethos is very much the same – a stellar wine selection and pop-ups from the hottest chefs and big-name international wine producers.
BAR CRISPIN
A Central London spin-off bar from Spitalfields fave Crispin, Bar Crispin is all about small-scale producers, seasonal sharing plates and sustainability. The natural wine list leans heavily towards Europe, with bottles coming from across the continent, from Beaujolais to Tenerife. The team is always evolving it too, so once some of the wines are gone, they’re gone for good. Once you’ve got the wine sorted, don’t let the food pass you by – the kitchen is cooking up dishes like native oysters with shallots, anchovy & potato focaccia with salsa verde, beef tartare with smoked egg yolk & puffed wheat berries, flatfish of the day with broad beans & citrus butter, and black garlic ice cream with choc tuile.
EQUAL PARTS
Just up the road from the original Sager + Wilde is Michael Sager’s latest cocktail bar Equal Parts. The distinctive, green-tiled corner building on Hackney Road showcases European Aperitif and Amaro culture, with some mezcal and records thrown in too. The bar has been decked out with a Hi-Fi sound system, with the help of north London specialists Audio Gold, so they can play a selection of vinyl. The interior design has been carefully considered (as you’d expect by the looks of the outside), with a bespoke zinc bar top, bronze mirrored back bar, Venetian blinds, Japanese wood panelling and vintage reclaimed 1960s Czech lighting all on the ground floor. Downstairs, a large hand-carved oak table takes centre stage with space for private events of up to 30 people.
PLANQUE
Planque is an uber-stylish wine bar and restaurant in Haggerston with an enviable collection of rare bottles. The menu, which is designed to be shared, focuses heavily on French flavours and you can be sure that the FOH team will steer you right on a pairing wine. Aside from the restaurant, Planque has a membership (that’s where their tagline ‘a wine drinker’s clubhouse’ comes in) which is designed to be a community for like-minded winos and entitles you to access to their private lounge and dining room, as well as a bunch of exclusive events.
THE GEORGE
Fitzrovia isn’t short of a few boozers but there’s not many like The George. From looks alone you can tell that The George is a cut above the average pub. The 18th century building is Grade-II listed so lots of period details, including wood panelling, plasterwork, gilded mirrors and enamel paintings have been kept, with a recent refurbishment adding a nice bit of polish. In the downstairs bar you can get a great pint of Guinness as well as Irish whiskeys and Irish coffees, and upstairs, there’s a menu designed by a two Michelin star chef. The George, part of the JKS stable, has culinary director James Knappett (of Kitchen Table) overseeing the food and publican Dom Jacobs running the show. Pub classics are very much the name of the game but with lots of little details pushing things up a gear. There’s bacon jam and jalapeño mascarpone dip for some very good, heavily seasoned buttermilk fried chicken; a tangy Worcestershire sauce ketchup to accompany molten Welsh rarebit croquettes; and red curry seasoning and sriracha & kewpie mayo dip to liven up a pot of pork scratchings. Don’t miss the fish & chips or the sticky toffee pudding either!
This stripped-back natural wine bar is one of Copenhagen’s best. There’s always a good selection by the glass, or you can just grab a bottle from the shop to enjoy at one of the high top tables or on the outdoor terrace. If you’re hungry, there’s plates of charcuterie and cheese to tuck in to, or you could check out Poulette next door, a fried chicken sandwich shop from the same owners.
This cute bottle shop and bar from the Bicycle cider brewery is well worth a stop. They have 10 ciders on draft, including many from their own brewery, as well as guest brews and tons to take away from the fridges in the bottle shop. There’s not a huge amount of space to sit in, but what tables they do have also come with old SNES consoles, so you can play a bit of 90s Mario Kart while you sip on craft cider.
Given Copenhagen is its home city, there’s no shortage of Mikkeller bars around town. If you’re in Copenhagen on a sunny day / night, however, it’s worth hopping on a bike out to the Baghaven location. It’s in an old industrial bit of the city and is located right on the water’s edge. There’s tons of outdoor seating so you can enjoy freshly brewed beers while looking out of the ocean and the city skyline in the distance. Reffen street food market is also right net door – it’s not the greatest food, but if you’re having a good time in the sun then the location makes it worth hanging around for.
SALTS TERRASSA BAR MONTJUÏC
This bar isn’t going to win any awards for its food and drink, but what it does have is a very cool setting at the top of the steps of Barcelona’s old Olympic swimming pool. If you find yourself climbing up to Montjuic Park, then this is a great place to relax with a drink and an ice cream afterwards, with amazing views of the city and the old pool and rows of stadium seating below.
An excellent new cocktail bar in Gracia from Theo Quinn and Tom Godfrey, two UK bartenders, who have worked in Barcelona’s best bars before venturing out on their own in 2023. There’s classic cocktails, an outdoor terrace and regular guest bartenders from around the world. Well worth stopping by for great drinks and the chilled, friendly vibe.
A great brewery and tap room in the meatpacking district offering freshly brewed seasonal beers poured straight from the tanks. On a sunny day, you can sit outside on deckchairs with your pint.
Elevated from street level, with plenty of space for tables, plants running the entire border, and an awning just in case the weather turns, Toklas is home to one of the best terraces in central London – you really don’t feel like you’re just off the Strand at all. You can enjoy Toklas’ Mediterranean menu – there’s nothing like mozzarella & broad beans, courgettes & romesco, lobster with panzanella, and pistachio ice cream on a gloriously sunny afternoon – but drinkers are welcome too. There’s a dedicated bar menu, featuring snacks like courgette fritti, boquerones, arancini, and those famous Toklas chips, which are the perfect pairing for a couple of limoncello or white sbagliato spritzes.
AMERICAN BAR AT THE SAVOY
The Savoy’s American Bar is the longest surviving cocktail bar in London and one of the most iconic bars on the planet, regularly winning World’s Best Bar awards. For more than 130 years the American Bar’s bartenders have been translating important moments into cocktails, recording them in liquid form and and this process is at the heart of The Savoy: American Bar Journal menu, created by Head Bartender Chelsie Bailey and her team. There are modern versions of classic serves alongside cocktails created to mark historical moments, including the likes of The New York Cherub, based on the classic ‘Angel Wings’ cocktail, made with Rabbit Hole Rye Whiskey, Bowmore 15-Year-Old Whisky, Raspberry, Discarded Vermouth, Maraschino Liqueur & Spiced Violette Bitters; The Coffee Black Velvet made with Guinness Coffee Whey, Crème De Cassis & Roasted Barley; and Homecoming, created to honour the Lionesses’ Euro 2022 win, made with Lion’s Botanical, Dry Vermouth, St. Germain Elderflower & Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé.
HOLBORN DINING ROOM
A gin bar, a glorious terrace, a pie room: the Holborn Dining Room’s got it all. Set inside a carefully restored Edwardian-era building, on the ground floor of the Rosewood Hotel, the HDR has a tremendously grand feel. But, while it makes a lot of sense to spend a special occasion here, it’s still just as suitable for a excellently executed breakfast on any given weekday or the perfect dry martini after work. Of course, you have to try the pies, whether seated in the private Pie Room or taken away via the Pie Hole for an envious office lunch.
KNOCKBOX COFFEE
Knockbox is a postage stamp-sized coffee shop on a sunny corner of Lamb’s Conduit Street with great coffee and excellent toasties. This is the ideal spot for a latte pre- or post-stroll around the indie boutiques on LCS. And, while it’s quite a tight squeeze inside, there are plenty of outdoor seats. So, on a warm(ish) day, grab a coffee, sit outside and enjoy the rare slice of Central London peace and quiet.
FIVE POINTS COURTYARD
Based outside their Mare Street brewery and taproom, Five Points Courtyard is a 300-cover space serving up cocktails, natural wine and, of course, pints. As well as a drink, you’ll be able to grab a bite to eat as Five Points will be joined by two indie food vendors. From The Ashes will be serving up their signature BBQ, while anoosh will be dishing out their Mexico-meets-Middle-East tacos.The FP team has also joined forces with Pamela in Dalston who has put together the cocktail offering and Bert Blaize, 2019’s Top Young Wine Sommelier Of The Year and author of Which Wine When, who’s helped curate the extensive wine list.
WINGNUT WINES
Beating even the teeny tiny Binch in Hackney, Wingnut Wines might just be the smallest wine bar in London. Located in Netil Market and run by Charlie Carr (who has also just opened Papi up the road with Matthew Scott of Hot 4 U) Wingut might be small but it packs a punch, with an incredible selection of unusual natural wines to take away and also to enjoy in the shop itself. Open late, it makes for a great spot for a pre or post drink when visiting Papi and they’ve even started doing a bit of food at Wingnut itself. Look out for regular events and tastings too.
Situated at an absolutely prime position, Between the Bridges is an open-air bar and events venue right next to the Thames, just in between the Southbank Centre and the London Eye. It’s free to enter, so you can walk up and grab a beer or a cocktail – or some street food – and soak in the skyline sights. But, if you are up for paying for a ticket, there’s also a huge programme of events that runs throughout the summer, featuring a number of special guests. There’ll be live music from the likes of Old Dirty Brasstards, Norman Jay MBE, The Cuban and DJ Yoda; drag brunches and performances from drag superstars Lawrence Chaney, Trinity K Bonet, Jan, Tayce, Jimbo the Drag Queen, The Vivienne and Baga Chipz; Britpop brunches; craft fairs; live cabaret acts; and more.