Living in the capital city of England (if not the world), you’d be forgiven for struggling to keep on top of new bars bursting onto the scene on a daily basis. Fortunately, we’re here to make sure you lot are always in the know, and lounge lizard Keith Barker-Main is your man. So don’t waste your precious evenings in a desiccated watering hole, here’s a round-up of what’s recently rocked Keith’s boat (with warnings for those likely to sink without a trace...). We’ve got all areas, wallets and occasions covered, from healthy hipster hangouts to Victorian drinking dens, so there’s absolutely no excuse for traipsing to your local boozer (again) this week.
Ekcovision, Brixton
More cocktail lounge, less pub, Ekcovison’s name refers to an English TV and radio manufacturer established in 1924, the era this late lounge’s decor turns to for inspiration. So it’s no surprise that two of only 10 signature sips on offer hark back to the Jazz Age…
Little Drury, Covent Garden (top)
Billed as an ‘exclusive New York speakeasy-style cocktail bar’, its exposed brick ‘shabby chic’ interior feels like the stuff of any $5 martini joint in Queens. A small mezzanine area with a table football is also available for hire at this soul-sound tracked ‘haven of hedonism’.
Proof, Hackney (above)
A new rooftop bar and chill-out zone above the stalls at weekend market Playground. The folk behind mezcal brand Quiquiriqui and the mega-cool Clapton off licence and tasting room, Brahms & Liszt, now run the joint, which has a covered terrace overlooking leafy London Fields.
Pukka Bar, Mayfair (below)
Aptly-named Pukka Bar certainly does not get lost in the mother ship that is Chutney Mary. With a mixologist on hand to guide you or create your own ‘flavour profile’ if you want to go off route, we dare you to be disappointed…
Redemption, Notting Hill
Inspired by haute hipster health-obsessives hangouts from Brooklyn Heights to Santa Monica, park up here for ‘Apple mock-jito’ or ‘Beet-o-tini’. Served in salt-rimmed vintage stemware, Coco-rita – coconut water, lime and agave syrup – is a £4.75 glass of green goodness…
Vinyl Bar, Notting Hill
An agreeably lo-fi café-cum-bar where a broad range of musical genres on hi-fi vinyl records and CDs orchestrate music buff browsing delight. The current limited range of lagers, cider and wine is set to soon be augmented by locally produced craft beers, spirits and cocktails.
The Walrus Room, Clapham (above)
A crooner-soundtracked, cod-Victorian parlour – its whimsical decor, a well-considered curation of curios, knick-knacks, taxidermy and rag and bone booty. Drinks are inspired by Lewis Carroll’s verse The Walrus and the Carpenter and described as ‘artisanal hedgerow cocktails.’
This article was published 20 August 2015