Feature

It’s no secret that Londoners like their drink. When the clock strikes 5.30pm on a Friday the streets heave with outpourings of revellers from packed pubs. But don’t let boozed up Britain distract from the finer things in London life. Not only is it brimming with tasteful drinking establishments, the capital boasts many specialist venues priding themselves on extensive selections and vast knowledge of tipple. Have a taste of our choice of watering holes for the connoisseur:

ATMOSPHERE/WINE:

Gordon’s Wine Bar, 47 Villiers Street, WC2N 6NE

Buried deep below the ground where you can hear the tubes rumbling by, Gordon’s Wine Bar is an absolute London institution. Being the former home of Samuel Pepys and Rudyard Kipling, the building is rich with literary history. The bar has been open since 1890 and serves a stellar selection of vintages at very reasonable prices.

Insider tip? Let the bar staff suggest a bottle – they know their list very well and rarely miss the mark.

CHAMPAGNE:

Searcys Champagne Bar, St Pancras Rail Station, NW1

The unveiling of the stunning St Pancras International brought into question the prestige of the jet-set. Now, sipping on a fine glass of bubbly at Searcys, the exquisite champagne bar in the midst of the Grade I listed station, it’s all about the rail-set - especially if it means relaxing over one of the 60 choices of fizz on offer at this fine establishment.

Insider tip? Grab a booth and cuddle up - they’re heated, with blankets on offer should you feel like getting cosy.

COCKTAILS:

Freud, 198 Shaftesbury Avenue, WC2

Ahh Freud – nothing about this popular cocktail bar (and café I’m told, but don’t know anyone who uses it as such) is as cold and analytical as the name might suggest. You’ll find the place packed with a wide range of thirsty punters in search of its famous drinks, which are fairly priced, generously measured and memorably named. It’s an ideal stop if you’re in central London and in between destinations.

Insider tip? Get yourself a Manza – it’s an appley boozy snifter that will quench your thirst and send you on your way.

BELGIAN BEER:

Lowlander Grand Café, 36 Drury Lane, WC2B 5RR

You don’t have to travel all the way to Brussels to get your hands on a proper Belgian brew. Lowlander prides itself on having over 15 beers on draught and 50 by the bottle. Its menu calls for the decisive customer; you could spend the whole day sampling the vast range. Simplify things by organising a beer tasting – starting at £15.50, they include Belgian cheese, charcuterie, bread and double Dutch fries. Mmm!

Insider tip? Check out their wheat beer selection – they’re fruity, refreshing and often overlooked at London pubs.

WHISKEY:

Albannach, Trafalgar Square, SC2N

The attraction of Albannach is its sheer variety of whiskies (of which there are over 120 to choose from). The Scottish bar and restaurant aims to surprise guests with a range that includes a 50-year-old Balvenie that’ll set you back £760 a shot, alongside more reasonably priced, but top quality whiskies such as the Ardbeg Uigeadail, which goes for £10 a shot.

Insider tip? “What grows together, goes together,” says sommelier Jonathan Abarbanel who suggests pairing a classic Scottish dish like the Inverawe smoked salmon with a full-bodied scotch.

COCKTAILS:

Bourne and Hollingsworth, 28 Rathbone Place, W1

For a subterranean experience from another era (think a Victorian tea party meets speakeasy), this little number stands out among its peers. Manager Dino (formerly of Milk and Honey) was brought in to tweak the cocktails and has done so to perfection. While the classics are available, his passion for mixology is especially evident in those drinks that depart from the norm.

Insider tip? Sip on a cocktail in a teacup, prohibition style - they come with tasty snacks like lady fingers or cucumber sandwiches.

ITALIAN WINE:

Vinoteca, 7 St John St, EC1M 4AA

The lovely Vinoteca holds its own as an eatery, but is also (my Italian sources tell me) the closest you’ll get to an authentic Italian wine tasting session in London. With over 25 vintages available by the glass and 280 by the bottle, this is a necessary destination for vino lovers. Proprietors and wine-fanatics Brett Woonton and Charlie Young change the list twice a year, and the last overhaul has seen 90 new bottles hit the stock.

Insider tip? They don’t take bookings, but will happily add your name to the waiting list, which means you can taste a glass or two at the bar until your table is ready.

BEER:

The Draft House, 74-76 Battersea Bridge Road, SW11 3AG

It’s a trek, being a 10-15 minute walk from Clapham Junction, but once you’ve arrived at The Draft House, you’ll have a hard time leaving as this place is gold. Owner Charlie McVeigh, obsessed with opening up his customers’ eyes to a world of beer beyond lacklustre lagers, has carefully crafted a list (17 on draft and over 50 bottled) that will have your non-beer-drinking friends suddenly salivating for those hops. He’s kept things affordable and offers many brews by the 1/3 pint – a rarely sold, but legal pub measure, which is ideal for testing out the draughts on offer. The modern British/Continental fare is good too – and I’m told the Sunday roast is to kill for.

Insider tip? Try these: Speight’s – a sparkly Kiwi dark lager, Bitter and Twisted – a great introduction to ale from Scotland, or Schremser Bio Roggenbier – an organic Austrian rye beer that frankly, blew my mind.

GIN:

Elgin, 96 Ladbrook Grove, W11 1PY

Hailing from the award-winning Geronimo Inns family of pubbery in London, the Elgin in Notting Hill, like its counterparts, has a great food menu, but has become renowned for its stock of 22 different gins, London’s favourite tipple. In fact, it even boasts a ‘Gin Palace’, a smaller back room ideal for sipping the range of skilfully conceived gin cocktails on offer.

Insider tip? Try out Sipsmith’s London Dry Gin – this boutique distillery, founded by three former drinks industry execs, is brewed just down the road in Hammersmith.

TEQUILA:

Green & Red, 51 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6LA

I’ve faced some challenges on this one as many don’t really rate Red and Green’s cuisine, but when it comes to tequila, it’s really quite hard to beat (if you’re a real tequilistador, you must also try La Perla in Covent Garden owned by Tomas Estes, “Europe’s tequila ambassador”). Skip the margarita and cocktail list and head straight for the 200+ range of 100% autentico agave.

Insider tip? Price is never a great indicator of quality – take a ride on the ‘Tequila Express’ – each selection offers three 25 ml shots to taste.

For more information on London, visit our destination guide

-----------------------------------------------------

About the writer:

Chloe is a Toronto-born, London-based journalist and editor. In addition to her role of Managing Editor at le cool London - the very best guide to cultural life in the British Capital, Chloe contributes to a number of publications in addition to vtravelled, including Guardian Travel, Times Travel Online and 'Sup magazine.