Portobello Star

It has no obvious signage, so you might struggle to locate this dinky cocktail bar. If so, look for the crowd of local trendies mingling near the entrance. The long, narrow room is sparsely furnished with a few low tables and wall-side perches, plus a square booth at the back. All eyes are on the bar where the front man mixes a perfectly edited list of classic & contemporary cocktails – the Blighty mojito is a uniquely British take on the Cuban favourite, made with Hendrick’s gin, mint, cucumber, lime & tonic. In fact, gin is taken so seriously here that the owners have recently opened the Ginstitute, a museum & still on the first floor where hopefuls can have a go at distilling their own concoction. Sustenance comes in the form of Ginger Pig pies, ploughman’s & British charcuterie.