As we settle into the blur
of festive mulled wine and champagne that marks the end of one year
and the beginning of the next, it seems an apt moment to look back and
revel in our favourite new watering holes of 2007.
Artesian
With cocktails costing an average £12 and rums fetching
£7-£300, a tipple at the Langham's beautiful
bar is hardly the cheapest. But then the drinks are fantastic
and David Collins's ostentatious design is stunning. 1c Portland Place, W1 - 020 7636 1000
Daily 7:30am-1:30am
Black
Gardenia
A no-frills bar with a refreshingly specific door policy ("no
jeans, no c*nts"), The Black Gardenia resurrects the
kind of '40s basement jazz joint that would have made
Philip Marlowe proud. 93 Dean Street, W1 - 020 7494 4955
Tues-Sat 6pm-1am
Shoreditch
House
With rooftop pool, private bowling lanes, reasonable prices
and sterling service, if they could just sort their cocktails
out, the East London wing of the Soho House members'
bar empire would be sheer perfection. Ebor Street, E1 - 020 7739 5040
Mon-Sat 7am-3am, Sun 7am-12am
Lounge
Bohemia
Low, 1960s décor, communist wallpaper, a sardonic barkeep,
and a menu of Eastern European cocktail twists from £5
make this easily missed gem perfect for late night conspiracy
and bohemian debate. 1e Great Eastern Street, EC2 - 07720 707 000
Mon-Sat 6pm-12am, Sun 6-11pm
All
Star Lanes Bayswater
Sod the bowling. Get to work on the dedicated menu of nuanced
Manhattan recipes and the tasting flights of aged bourbons
while everyone else does the work instead. Whiteleys, Porchester Gardens, W2 - 020 7313 8363
Mon-Thus 4-11:30pm, Fri 12pm-12am, Sat 11am-12am, Sun 11am-10:30
Bungalow
8
Like a weekend on the Orient Express, the London sister of
Amy Sacco's iconic NYC members' bar is an over-priced
feat of exclusivity, martinis and palm trees. And like the
legendary Orient, marvelously so. 45 St. Martin's Lane, WC2
Mon-Sat 9pm-3am
Ronnie
Scott's Members Bar
Think flattering, low light on dark mahogany, and luscious
cocktails from expert bartenders, and you'll be ever
so grateful the Jacques Garcia designed bar is ditching its
members-only exclusivity. 47 Frith Street, W1 - 020 7439 0747
Mon-Sat 6pm-3am
Barrio
North
Islington's been waiting for a bar like Barrio for some
time now. Low-key, bright and intimate, it's an oasis of
Latin charm with regular tequila tastings and a decent selection
of cocktails.
45 Essex Road, N1 - 020 7688 2882
Sun-Thu 12pm-12am, Fri & Sat 12pm-3am
Electricity
Showrooms
A good selection of draught beers, a billiards table, and
an under-lit, Daft Punk dancefloor in the basement, ensures
that this destination local covers all its bases remarkably
well. 39a Hoxton Square, N1- 020 7739 3939
12pm-12am (Mon -11pm, Fri & Sat -1am)
Maya
A haven for high heels, bling and bubbles, shimmy past the notorious
red rope and this Mayfair-style club in Soho is awash with bass-heavy
DJs and slick waitresses in gilt hotpants. 1a Dean Street, W1 - 020 7287 9608
Wed-Sat 10pm-4am
