With summer just around the corner, we have rounded up some of the best places to drink gin in London
Words Rachel Worth
Nothing says summer like a cold G&T. With the weather finally warming up in the capital, it’s time to get clued-up about where best to enjoy balmy evenings with your favourite juniper tipple.
Martello Hall, Hackney
You can find Martello Hall a short walk from London Fields. This bar and Italian eatery is both craggy and chic: stripped ceilings, bare walls and reclaimed furniture are all part of its charm. Here, gin is king, distilled on site and drawn from a copper still named Nicola.
The Gibson, Old Street
The Gibson was named after an Edwardian martini served with a pickled onion. It should come as no surprise, then, that this Old Street bar offers an eclectic and tongue-tingling drinks menu. The cocktail names are also inspired (Electric Earl, anyone?). With 1920s prohibition-themed decor and dazzling lighting, The Gibson truly turns the ‘mother’s ruin’ cliché on its head.
City of London Distillery, Smithfield
This subterranean speakeasy-type distillery also doubles as a bar. Offering distillery tours, tasting sessions and a ‘lab’ experience where visitors can distill their own gin, the City of London Distillery is a copper still haven in the heart of London’s financial district. The candlelit bar offers over 150 types of gin, including their award-winning Christopher Wren and Square Mile brands.
The Distillery, Notting Hill
This four-floor mecca for gin lovers has it all: a working distillery, two lively bars serving both traditional and modern cocktails and a private dining room. Home to Portobello Road Gin, it also has its very own ‘Ginstitute’ where you can brush up on your knowledge of the drink’s London history. And, after an evening of high spirits, you can even stagger into bed at one of the three guest lodgings available.
The London Gin Club at The Star at Night
Selling nearly 200 types of gin, this popular and lively Soho watering hole serves its G&Ts in goblets. It also offers tasting menus of up to 8 different brands. Far from being like a laboratory, though, this is undoubtedly a bar thoroughly dedicated to the enjoyment of gin.
Four Thieves, Clapham Junction
This quirky Battersea offering boasts its own micro-distillery, more than 45 types of gin and a retro gaming room. With taxidermy on the walls and vintage decor galore, Four Thieves promises a novel experience. They also know how to throw a party: find names from some of London’s best club nights DJing every Friday or Saturday night.
Holborn Dining Room, Holborn
This British brasserie is home to the self-proclaimed ‘best stocked gin bar in London.’ Over 14,000 pairings are possible here, with 400 types of international and local gins and 27 different tonics available. The stunning decor features a copper-topped bar and plush crimson booths.
214 Bermondsey, London Bridge
This ‘secret speakeasy’ bar is nestled beneath Southwark’s Antico Restaurant. Serving over 80 gins and home to their house-made BTW tonic water, the vibe is relaxed and the decor is reclaimed. Head here on Sunday where their weekly Sunday Social event offers a changing drinks menu at special prices.
