London’s bar game has been strong for a while, but this year some real crackers launched. Whether you’re after post-work drinks, weekend antics or you’ve just had a really bad/good (delete as appropriate) day, the capital’s bartenders will keep you entertained. Read on for our pick of the best new bar openings of 2016, selected by our very own barfly extraordinaire, Keith Barker-Main.
Words: Keith Barker-Main and Eamonn Crowe
Black Rock, City
Why: This former Liverpool Street shrine to boxing delivers a knockout range of whiskies and cocktails, as well as snacks including baked oysters, haggis balls and gravlax
Club Chinois, Mayfair
Why: Opulent without tipping into Vegas vulgarity, Alan Yau’s pitch-perfect pastiche of 1930s Shanghai serves up on-point cocktails, and sumptuous dim sum for snacking
The Mule Bar, City
Why: Jon and Gerry Calabrese’s 1970s America pastiche is period-perfect, while thanks to a cocktail list built by their cocktail-supremo father Salvatore Calabrese, it’s no surprise this place is impressive
Ray’s Bar, Dalston
Why: This fabulously tacky basement den beneath Voodoo Ray’s on Kingsland High Street delivers a 1970s-style dive-bar experience, tasty signature sips and DJs playing old school soul and disco
Swift, Soho
Why: One of 2016’s most highly anticipated openings combines the creative talents of Nightjar, Oriole, Milk & Honey and Callooh Callay and it doesn’t disappoint, reflecting Londoners’ increasingly sophisticated tastes with superb, grown-up cocktails
The best of the rest
7 Tales, Clerkenwell (above)
The Bar at the Athenaeum Hotel, Mayfair
Little Bird, Chiswick
Spiritland, King’s Cross
Three Sheets, Dalston
More of an eater? We hear you. Check out our list of the best new London restaurants of 2016 here
This article was published 21 December 2016