Dirty Martini

On the site of the defunct Chopper Lump, Dirty Martini is a sibling to the Covent Garden late-night party pen of the same name. Inside, a tricky, corridor-like basement space has been intelligently broken into three separate ‘rooms’ decked out in noughties’ washed brick & postmodern chic. Two efficiently run bars (including a cute DJ salon) dispense the eponymous dirty martini – a well-rounded beast garnished with Kalamata olives & thyme – but it’s also worth checking out variants such as the pineapple & cardamom version. ‘Happy hours’ last way beyond their designated 60 minutes here – a smart move that is already pulling the Zara/Oasis classes from nearby Oxford Street. A range of well-made classics (sidecar, army & navy, clover club), plus a clutch of sub-£20 wines, global grazing nibbles & ciabatta sandwiches are further reasons to investigate.