London’s best bars for drinking bourbon
Exceptional bourbon in opulent surroundings at Scarfes bar
Neat, on the rocks, or in a killer cocktail. From basement speakeasies to opulent lounges, Barley’s guide to 10 bars in the capital where the bourbon drinking is beyond compare
Like Beatlemania in reverse, the Bourbon invasion is coming, bringing a brash new beat to Britain’s whiskey scene.
Across London, there is now serious stateside drinking to be had. Not so long ago, a bourbon fan would have sighed at the soul-sapping selection on the shelves of the capital’s pubs. You’d have been offered Jack, Jim, maybe a slug of Bulleit or a tumbler of Woodford Reserve if you were lucky, but invariably not much beyond that to spread cheer and spark surprise.
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You may have fared better in hotels and cocktail bars, many catering to an American crowd, but it would be hit and miss. That’s changed too. Now there is a glut of great places serving rare and unusual bourbon, from swish cocktail destinations to basement speakeasies. The West End even has its first dedicated Bourbon store and tasting emporium – courtesy of Kentucky’s Buffalo Trace distillery. They opened in Covent Garden last year and by all accounts are doing a roaring trade.
Whether you’re after rare pours straight up, or inventive mixes from the capital’s finest cocktail bartenders, here are ten London spots to visit to drink exceptional bourbon.
Side Hustle
The Nomad hotel, Covent Garden
A swanky joint in a swanky hotel, just a pirouette away from the front doors of the (extremely swanky) Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. The Nomad’s former life was less salubrious. This is the old Bow Street police station, but you’ll want to do time here, and it’s the ideal place to kick-off an enjoyable bourbon-flavoured bar crawl of the West End.
Awaiting you after a stroll through the handsome hotel drawing room is a classy but bustling bar, peppered with choice pieces of mid-century modern furniture, quirky curios and vibrant contemporary artwork on the walls. The room has a high ceiling, with plenty of cosy booths dotted opposite the big long bar. Grab a stool there and let the crew of agreeably boisterous bartenders get your drinking underway, either with or without a cocktail menu.
On my last trip, I started off-menu with a dry and mildly bitter paper plane made with equal parts Buffalo Trace bourbon, Aperol, Amaro nonino and lemon juice. It paired very well with a few plates from the excellent bar food menu: crunchy tuna tostada with ancho chilli, creamy guacamole, fiery padron peppers and fizzingly fresh sea bass ceviche.
My lips duly smacked, I dived in to sample a bartender’s recommendation –The Fix, a mighty house concoction composed from Angel’s Envy Bourbon, olive oil, 1757 Cinzano Rosso, Linie Aquavit and white chocolate. As well as great bourbon, Side Hustle is a temple of tequila and agave (there’s a strong Latin America and Southern Californian inspiration behind both food and drink), so you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to adventurous and unusual imbibing.
It’s a tough place to leave, but leave you must, for new horizons await just down the road from here, and the night is yet young…
Scarfes: live the high life on Holborn
Scarfes bar
The Rosewood hotel, Holborn
Stepping through the revolving doors of this beautiful bar attached to the opulent Rosewood hotel feels a bit like entering a classic Pall Mall club from a bygone age, just without the hoity-toity attitude. Yes, Scarfes is grand and swish, but it’s also inviting and warm – in short, a glorious, decadent destination with an exquisite drinks menu to match.
Fitted out in burnished orange and opal green furnishings, the interior’s walls are adorned with original artworks from The Sunday Times and the New Yorker by the celebrated British caricaturist Gerald Scarfe (who sometimes drops in for a drink).
All season sipping at Scarfes
On the left as you enter, a hardwood bar stretches out invitingly. Clusters of seats are arranged in private crannies, some of them backed by bookshelves. The banquettes, meanwhile, are made for elegant lounging. On cold nights, a grand fire blazes in the rear. Settle in and let the charming staff – bedecked in regulations Scarfes white jackets and tartan trousers – and the nightly live jazz, soothe your woes away.
Drinkwise, the cocktails err towards the flamboyant, but the latest menu, ‘From Scratch’, showcases 22 classics enhanced with a twist and no little flair. They house an impressive range of whiskeys. On the bourbon beat, try these two: the cookie sour, a fizzingly good mix of Eagle Rare 10, Sauterenes, cookie verjus and cream soda. I also loved the playfully named Call Me Nutty, whipped up with Mitcher’s Rye, roasted hazelnuts, tonka, cedro and PX. Salted beef bagels, crab louie rolls and wagyu sliders pop out from the menu as bar food highlights. But really Scarfes is all about sipping in sumptuous style.
The Vault, 3 Greek Street, Soho
This newly refurbished 60-year-old Soho stalwart may have applied a fresh face, adopted a new name (Milroy’s it would seem is no more), but the charming, ever so slightly rackety personality of its Vault bar remains largely unaltered. This is a place for Soho strollers searching out a rare seat, or the romantically-inclined with an eye for a candlelit tryst. Either way, the action happens downstairs in a speakeasy-style cavern bar, entered through a fake bookcase in the (elegantly rebooted and still superbly stocked) upstairs shop.
On a bourbon excursion, I’d go for a twist on a classic, like their signature Coconut butter Old Fashioned, made with Coconut butter, Buffalo Trace bourbon, peychauds bitters, angostura bitters and sugar syrup.
But the highballs and plenty more besides are great. If there’s a gang of you, you could hire the new private ‘Hideout’ space at the back of the Vault, fitted out like a billiard room designed by a goth (minus the billiard table and goths), with bench-seats built into the walls and dinky in-set occasional tables for perching drinks on. If you’re after single- bottle sipping, the shop-level bar has room for 12 guests with the choice of a 250-strong whisky list in generous 35ml pours. That’ll have you slipping merrily into the Soho night, ready for another round.
Dram: whisky’s answer to the Hacienda
Dram, Denmark Street
Dram is a dream of a bar. Modern, inventive and cooler than the other side of the pillow, this place currently feels like the centre of the new whisky universe. That’s partly down to the reputation of the founders, Chris Tanner, Martyn ‘Simo’ Simpson and Jack Wallis. And partly because they’ve created a place pulsing with a clubby energy that has redefined the possibilities of what a great bar is.
From the distressed green and yellow wooden front doors that greet you on entering from London’s old Tin Pan Alley, to the roughed-up concrete, brushed metal and tactile backlit steel of the interior, DRAM is an unexpected mix of styles and tastes that hangs together brilliantly. The surprises continue in both the experimental cocktail lab downstairs and the moody casino-style ‘Mews’ room out the back (stuffed with shelves of rare whisky, and available to book privately). There’s even an upstairs pool room with its own dram-in-a-can vending machine.
Dram’s basement cocktail lounge
Whenever you swing by – and this is a bar that feels right to visit at any time of the day – there’s a buzz, something happening, people hanging out who you’d want to hang out with, and invariably they’re drinking something interesting you’ve never tried before.
It’s like whisky’s answer to the Hacienda, Manchester’s era-defining nightclub. (Coincidentally, there’s a strong Spanish hacienda feel to the gorgeous courtyard area, full of plants and bright yellow bistro tables.)
Dram’s irresistible main bar
In the end, the whisky does the talking here and the DRAM team – hip, affable, welcoming – love sharing their knowledge. Tell them what you like and you’ll be met with a nod of recognition before being asked if you’ve tried this or that instead. The collection here is rightly renowned. Every possible need is catered for. Bourbon-wise, you’re in dram dreamland. Really, listing recommendations would be pointless. If you want it, they’ve got it. Sate your curiosity. Scoot along now.
Seed Library: a 70s Bond villain’s lair of a bar
Seed Library, Shoreditch
Ryan Chetiyawardana – aka Mr Lyan – is world king of cocktails and Seed Library is the east London outpost of his mighty global empire (just south of the river he’s also got Lyaness, bigger and arguably even more revered). Seed occupies the basement of the One Hundred Shoreditch hotel and feels a bit like a 70s version of a James Bond villain’s lair, which is to say it’s a handsome, uptown kind of place decked out in subtle tones of tangerine, warming red and earthy brown.
Lighting is low, and the attitude is lo-fi: retro rules here, extending through the decor to the music (there are racks of lovely vinyl), the food and the drinks. Mr Lyan knows how to compile a creative cocktail list better than anyone, and at Seed he has produced a rotating menu that ranges from the seriously out there to the downright degenerate (in the best possible way).
Retro rules at Seed Library, from the shelves of vinyl to the cheese toasties
Citrus flavours feature often on the menu, including in the zesty Meyer 75 in which Beefeater gin, Meyer lemon, orange bitters and Champagne are combined. There’s also the Starflower Sour, made from Hepple gin, borage curacao, citrus and Fever Tree Italian blood orange soda.
The creative approach extends to Bourbon delights. There’s a fine range of expressions and a killer whiskey cocktail currently on the list. Nuka mixes up Maker’s Mark, quince ripened in a bed of microbes, aperitivo blend, and sunflower. The result is a sour and earthily-fruited wonder. Try it. The Beeswax OId Fashioned is also delicious.
Classic cocktail snacks and retro-tastic toasties (plus a pimped up cheeseboard) are served for soaking up the drinks. At the weekend, the dial cranks up a notch as a party crowd swings by for guest DJs spinning funky, jazzy, disco platters.
Nuka: a quirky quince with Maker’s Mark concoction
Rules, Covent Garden
This doyenne of traditional British dining – London’s oldest restaurant – is also one of the best places in the capital for tracking down rare and eminent American whiskey. Who knew? And now the secret is out.
Head upstairs to the understated glamour of the dark wood bar on the first floor – formerly the private dining room of King Edward VII, and where he reportedly wooed his mistress Lillie Langtry – and you are instantly teleported to another era. Hunting scenes and framed cartoons festoon the wood panelled walls, and plush chairs upholstered in deep red velvet lend an air of an aristocratic Victorian drawing room.
It’s elegant, intimate and beguiling, a refined drinkers’ sanctuary filled with the mellow sounds of whispered conversations and no-nonsense house cocktails being quietly stirred for the well-attired clientele. The bourbon here is other worldly, too.
On a recent visit, my eyes nearly popped out of my head when a friend told me what they had stashed away behind the venerable old English bar. Old Pappy Van Winkle 20-year-old, seriously hard to find Thomas Handy, George T Stagg 2005, Sazerac 18-year-old Rye, Blanton’s gold edition... shining jewels in the cannon all, and some of the most desirable bourbons money can buy. They’re appropriately expensive of course (we’re talking £20+ for a pour and then some if you really go deep), but if you haven’t the wallet or head for single-serve sipping there’s an ocean of options available to keep you happy.
Signature cocktails featuring bourbon include a great Manhattan made with Sazerac Rye or Buffalo Trace Bourbon and Martini Vermouth. But it’s those rare Kentucky gems that are really what you want. Rules is a special place with an atmosphere long lost to most London bars, so treat it accordingly. Dress up and drink well in that lovely bar. And then head downstairs for a supper of game and claret in the extraordinary dining room.
Odyssey: a cool new bar with over 600 whiskeys to try
Odyssey, Hoxton
A new kid on the block, Odyssey is a glittering two-floor bar and destination for whiskey enthusiasts and bourbon cocktail connoisseurs in the hipster paradise of Hoxton.
It’s bang on brand – a funky joint with a carefree crowd drinking like there’s no tomorrow in the striking industrial interior, all exposed brick, brushed metal and sleek wood. The big main room is light and airy and at night glows with ambient lighting. Plump leather sofas and armchairs are plonked hither and thither, and an immense broad bar takes up one side of the main room.
Odyssey attracts London’s cool crowd
Behind it, lies the prize: more than 600 bourbons and whiskeys, one of the largest collections in the UK. This is where I first tasted Yellowstone, a Kentucky distillery with roots stretching back to the American civil war and a family connection to Mr Jim Beam himself. Yellowstone Select, the brand’s flagship Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey is a belter, a perfect blend of 4 and 7-year-old bourbons, with a smooth yet complex flavour, with soft, leathered cherries on the nose and a smoky oak brown sugar finish.
Cabinet of whiskey dreams
In the mood for classics? The house whiskey sour (Evan Williams bourbon, citrus bash and Odyssey foma) is excellent and well priced at £12. Likewise, their signature highball is highly refreshing, and rustled up with that ever-present Yellowstone bourbon, jasmine, green tea, apricot and soda.
Small plates for around £10 have a fiery southern swagger: braised beef taco with chilli, corn tortilla and guacamole; cajun baby squid; pecan pie with bourbon drip. And there are good vegetarian options too.
Don’t forget to head down to the cellar bar. It houses a magnificent glass dresser crammed with hundreds of bottles of bourbon and whiskey, from Elijah Craig to FEW and Clyde May’s. It’s also home to regular special events where some of the biggest names in US whiskey (and beyond), come to preach the grain gospel to the enlightened and the yet to be converted.
Dive down to Black Rock for a great whisky welcome
Blackrock bar, Shoreditch
At nine years young and counting, this popular and convivial east London basement could be considered a veteran on the whisky bar scene. It was certainly one of the first venues in the capital to create a space anyone interested in discovering more about whisky could come and enjoy the experience without judgement or condescension. It still has an inclusive ethos – as well as a unique approach to serving whisky.
There’s over 250 single malts and blends from around the world at Black Rock and no whisky menu. Instead, spirits bottles are displayed in glass cabinets and grouped by flavour and style. It’s a fun way to discover new spirits that share characteristics of ones you already like.
The star of the show is an 18-foot, 185-year-old tree trunk, fashioned from a mighty fallen oak tree into a glass-topped table, which serves as a communal seating area for up to 20 drinkers, as well as the setting for special Tuesday night tastings. Two channels carved out of the wood dispense a changing selection of house serves from brass taps.
The bar runs a dot system to price individual bottles of whisky and bourbon. One black dot on the neck of a bottle indicates a £9 dram (note, you’re getting 35ml instead of the standard 25ml); you’ll pay £11 for two black dotted bottles, and anything from £14 to GOOD LORD, HOW MUCH! on bottles stamped with the prized gold dots.
Ever wanted to drink out of an 185-year-old tree trunk?
On a recent visit we tried a tasty ‘New World Old Fashioned’ made from Illinois’ FEW bourbon stable (FEW bourbon, FEW Rye, Dom Benedictine, stone fruit, salinity and orange bitter). A friend recommends their ‘Englishman in NYC’ cocktail from the short but varied list, for a very reasonable £14: Yellowstone Select bourbon, Biscoff and apple cinnamon fermont honey mead.
You can make up your own 3-dram flights from £20, suck down on baked oysters and munch your way through unlimited spicy popcorn for £4 a go.
Add in interactive blending experiences, distillery ambassadors overseeing special tasting nights and you have an educational, entertaining and super-friendly whisky experience you’re bound to fall for.
Sip in the shadow of Sinatra at the Savoy’s American bar
The American bar, Savoy hotel, Covent Garden
The American Bar is a cocktail institution that has been shaking things up off the Strand since 1893. With a history as rich and varied as its drinks, this place has served everyone from Winston Churchill to Frank Sinatra and Ernest Hemingway. Fortunately, mere mortals are welcome too.
It’s an oasis of understated luxury, an art deco masterpiece and, quite simply, a beautiful bar and room to luxuriate in. Light burgundy leather lounge chairs sit in stately silence on the flaming red starburst carpet and a gallery of monochrome photographs of Hollywood and cultural royalty fills the walls. The shelves behind the stylish bar are stocked to bursting, ready for the carnival of cocktail-making dispensed to a cultivated crowd by the famous white-jacketed bartenders.
Cocktail serving as artform
Cocktail serving is theatrical in the best possible way here, with every flourish and finely-tuned finishing touch a joy to behold. They’ll serve you what you want. Or you can choose from the eye-catching ‘Liquid Moments’ menu inspired, we are told, by 135 years of ‘stories, glamour and innovation’, and featuring an eye-catching line-up of new and vintage creations. I had the oddly named Live Stream. Luckily it was a blistering joy to drink. Mitcher’s US No 1 Small batch bourbon, boatyard sloe gin, leonor pala cortado, plum and orange and angostura bitters. I had to be scooped out of my chair.
No one comes here to eat, though you’ll be served a small platter of salty snacks to keep you thirsty.
But if you want to launch your bourbon drinking into another galaxy, take-off from here.
Swift’s swoonsome basement bar
Swift, Soho
Swift has spread its wings across London now with bars in Shoreditch and Borough, but the original Soho outpost remains our firm favourite. It’s split into two generous rooms, with a more casual buzzy layout on the ground floor and a speakeasy-style bookings-only bar downstairs featuring live jazz and blues at the weekend. This room was made for late night mischief-making. Indeed, the ghosts of Old Compton Street past lend it a palpable whiff of boho Soho pleasure-seeking.
Credit for capturing this epicurean vibe goes to the husband and wife team of Bobby Hiddlestone and Mia Johansson, who have impeccable credentials, having grafted and crafted their art at acclaimed bars Milk & Honey (London) and Dead Rabbit (New York).
It’s the latter perhaps that gives a clue to how much they revere American spirits.
Swift’s bourbon delights are legion, but often missed or overlooked. A fair proportion of the early evening crowd here are piling in upstairs for pre-theatre martinis and negronis, washed down with Welsh rarebit, steak tartare and native oysters. All good. And true to the team’s stated philosophy of ‘Swift by name, Swift by nature’. It just means they’re missing out on a whole world of whiskey fun happening in the basement bar.
This runs the gamut from great cocktails (on their current ‘Backstage Heroes’ menu) to a 300-strong whisky list, with a broad American backbone, including the kind of bourbon paragons that would be the envy of any Kentucky distiller.
Cocktails first. I tried the Bieville, a refreshing but potent £16 concoction made with Wild Turkey 101 bourbon, rooibos and Hostetter’s bitters.
The Bievelle, made with Wild Turkey 101 bourbon
It was really nice. But the Bourbon list was giving me a come hither look that I was hopeless to resist.
First up a Never Say Die barrel strength beauty at £9 a dram. High in rye, with nice caramel-coated spice to it, and a long lingering finish. Next, a gorgeous Weller 12-year-old. This is an exceptional, refined wheated bourbon, with classic vanilla, toast and oak on the tongue. Finally, a 15-year-old Pappy van Winkle Reserve. Arguably the most sought-after of the whole range, and with a price tag to match (£24 a pour) this is a top shelf wheat treat, full of mouth coating custard and berry pies.
Swift is soaringly good. A serious destination for elevated bourbon drinking. Take a one-way flight and then see how you feel about leaving.
