So long Dry January; roll on boozy fun!

So long Dry January; roll on boozy fun! Read on for our pick of the best bars in London in which to celebrate.

 

Those of you who abstained from the hard stuff for January, well done. Now we’ve got the most gruelling month of the year behind us, here is where to have some boozy fun in London. Cheers!

 

Wine Time

 

Serving delicious silky pasta and other Italian dishes in relaxed surroundings, Trullo in Islington is the kind of place you don’t want to leave. The good news is you can just pop next door instead – to Trullo Wine Bar. The intimate, candlelit space, which opened at the end of last year, offers a regularly changing wine list as well as Italian cocktails. If you’re feeling peckish, there are snacks such as pig’s ear fritti with anchovy, focaccia with olive oil and cheese and crackers too.

The sixth bar from Humble Grape has opened in Crouch End – others include Battersea, Liverpool Street and Fleet Street. The warm, inviting bolt-hole, with rows of wine bottles lining the exposed brick walls, is a bar, wine shop and restaurant all in one. There’s a big focus on sustainability with much of the wine and food from independent producers. Small plates such as grilled prawns and cheeses sit alongside steak mains.

The trendily named Oranj, housed in a 2000-square-foot warehouse in Shoreditch, calls itself a ‘pub for wine drinkers’, selling a range of natural wines, including – you guessed it – orange wines, low-ABV reds and Catalonian whites. Its original incarnation (during lockdown) was an online shop and that remains. Feeling hungry? There’s a rotating guest chef series for that.

 

Feel the Music

 

‘A heady mix of music, cocktails and dining’, Stereo is the latest nightlife addition to Covent Garden. And worth facing the crowds for. It’s a bar, restaurant and music venue all wrapped up in one. For something to drink, there are punchy cocktails, wines by the glass, house spirits and locally produced beers. Tuck into American bar-inspired classics for your main course before dancing the night away to live music and DJs.

Another place to have a drink pre- or post-gig is The Lower Third on Denmark Street. The small, cosy bar is attached to a gig venue and has an extensive cocktail menu as well as ‘Boilermakers’ – a half pint paired with a shot. The Guinness with Laird’s apple brandy sounds tempting.

 

Cocktails Galore

 

Control Room B is an exciting launch, if only for the fact that it is located in the newly refurbished Battersea Power Station. It’s a large, sumptuous space featuring velvet booths and nods to its location, such as ‘high-voltage’ cocktails, but there are also daytime coffees, teas and pastries.

Velvet is an appropriate name for a bar as luxurious and high-end as this (it’s also full of the stuff). The roaring ’20s-style interior and dazzling champagne list may set you back, but it’s worth it for a treat. Located in the Corinthia Hotel, Velvet comes from the legend behind Dukes’ famous martini. Try the marmalade breakfast version.

Right next door to RAILS Restaurant within Great Northern Hotel, Little Bar is a smart and inviting space (think vintage-inspired wallpaper and elegant glasses) where you can knock back some of the hard stuff: Sip on French wines and cocktails such as The Morning Routine, made with Grey Goose Vodka, Grand Marnier and Pampelle.

At the heart of the five-star Middle Eight hotel is QT Bar, a sultry contemporary take on the classic speakeasy. Its seductive ambience and incredible roster of talent have made it one of London’s most acclaimed live music venues. Stop by to try the carefully curated cocktail list while enjoying soulful jazz music.

 

Please like, share and comment below and see if we have anything else to inspire your next visit to London.