"Warm Dishes" Bars in London
Vintage cocktails are served from an old-fashioned trolley at the famous Connaught Bar, where you'll never have to queue for a drink. The Connaught is where the who's who of the cocktail world meets. Whether you choose a classic like the 1893 Sidecar or the more unusual fennel and lavender Magnetum, they are all equally delightful.
Quirky, contemporary and with an elegant pan-Asian interior, The Last Talisman in Southwark serves both classics and signatures with quirky ingredients like gingerbread, pink grapefruit and honey. There are also snack-sized bao buns for when the hunger hits.
Aqua Nueva's Spanish inspired menu, drinks and design in their Spirit Bar make you feel as though you're sat on the balcony of a townhouse in Madrid rather than in the heart of London. The richly flavoured tapas is the perfect accompaniment for Spanish wines and cocktails. They also have a strong list of tequilas and mezcals for when the night gets going.
Quietly hidden behind a velvet curtain within the Champagne Room at The Connaught, The Red Room contains interiors and artworks from the world's most renowed female artists. Styled as a wine bar, the menu offers delicious charcuterie to pair with the exquisite vintages - all served on a handmade marble trolley.
The interiors at Booking Office 1869, housed inside the St. Pancras Renaissance hotel, get all of the attention, but its sunny rooftop lounge is worthy of equal praise. Laid-back deck chairs, a menu of both classic and signature cocktails, beers, wines and everything in between make it easy to understand why this is a local favourite.
Simply one of London's coolest bars, reminiscing on the post-war 1940s period and designed like an underground tube station, Cahoot's popular Carnaby Street haunt provides entertainment, music and an inventive cocktail list. Drinks are served in everything from hip flasks to milk bottles - don't forget to pick up your entrance ticket from the stationmaster.
The Alchemist's many UK outlets have always been the place to go for the most outlandish and inventive cocktails - liquid nitrogen in teacups, giant bubbles, disco lights and colour changing liqueurs are just the start of the adventure. The atmosphere is always buzzing, whether it's a first date or a girls night out.
14 Hills' inside dining space is dripping in plant life, but the roof garden is refreshingly open, complete with shady umbrellas and City of London views. The bar hosts frequent live music sets and has a sweet and sour cocktail menu any mixologist would be proud of.
Opium in London's Chinatown glows with deep red lighting and warm lanterns, making it feel like a Shanghai speakeasy. It contains three Oriental themed bars, all of which serve experimental cocktails and dim sum. Head to the 'Bartender's Table' for an up close view of the mixologists at work.
Panoramic city veiws take centre stage at Japanese-Latin American Sushisamba and their rooftop bar, illuminated by glittering lights with their iconic red tree as a centrepiece, is the place to go to impress. The cocktails and wine are excellent, but the chance to enjoy bar snacks like wagyu gyoza and eggplant tempura is the cherry on top.
While you wait for the Detective to solve your case, you can enjoy a thoroughly shaken or stirred 1920s cocktail behind a hidden door at his detective agency. Bootlegging and prohibition are the theme here, and they have fun jazz, swing and blues nights to bolster the mood, plus tasty cocktails named after fictional criminals.