BYOC

Imaginatively designed in the tiny cellar of a Covent Garden juice bar, BYOC (‘bring your own cocktails’) is a novel drinking opportunity and a deeply convivial sanctum. Book a two-hour sitting online for £20 per person, take along your preferred spirit base, liqueurs, aperitifs or fortified wines, and let owner Dan Thomson (or one of his capable team) conjure up bespoke drinks using high-quality ingredients from a creaky, vintage Italian drinks trolley. Guests are encouraged to pool bottles, thereby increasing the barman’s scope. The clandestine setting, crepuscular lighting, a scratchy juke-joint jazz soundtrack and comely retro stemware help foster the impression that you’ve been invited to some off-limits party. BYOC is unlicensed to sell alcohol, but permitted to mix alcoholic drinks (a service covered by your entry fee) – so it’s closer to the real deal than most London ‘speakeasies’.