London Gin Club at The Star at Night

This legendary Georgian corner house has been trading as The Star Café since 1933, and still serves daytime grub to hungry workers in a cosy, homespun room hung with retro advertising signs. In the evening, the caff becomes a temple to Londoners’ current spirit du jour – gin. You’ll find over 50 varieties of mother’s ruin at this free-to-join club (non-members are welcome): order a G&T (served with rose petals in one of the bar’s signature balloon glasses) or try a taster flight before deciding on brands as diverse as Caorunn, Bathtub and Fifty Pounds. The Gin Club even has its own distillation, 7 Dials London Dry. Cute booklets allow aficionados to record notes, lest all be forgotten amid cocktails such as sloe gin Rickey or King’s ginger martini. Wines and beers pander to the unconverted, while food ranges from tapas to homemade pies.