Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Mark's Bar
Attached to noted restaurant Hix, this dark and stylish bar offers up
a slice of Manhattan deep in the heart of Soho. Its imaginative drinks menu, devised
by Nick Strangeway, is packed full of historical curiosities that “hark back to another era
before the Temperance Movement had reared its ugly head.” Leave your mojitos at the
door and instead try something a little different, such as the 19th-century inspired
“Punch à la Regent.” Open noon to 12:30am Monday through Saturday; 11am until
11pm Sunday.
66-70 Brewer St., W1.
&
020/7292-3518.
www.hixsoho.co.uk. Tube: Piccadilly Circus.
Phoenix Artist Club
The favored watering hole of many a London actor, this
basement bar has seen plenty of decadent sights over the years. This is where Lau-
rence Olivier made his stage debut in 1930, although he couldn't stop giggling even
though the play was a drama. Live music is occasionally featured, but it's the hearty
welcome, good beer, and friendly patrons from ages 20 to 50 who make this theatre
bar a worthwhile detour. It's “members only” after 8pm, but arrive early, find yourself
a secluded spot, and you'll be able to drink long into the night.
1 Phoenix St., WC2.
&
020/7836-1077.
www.phoenixartistclub.com. Tube: Tottenham Court Rd.
69 Colebrooke Row
Showing that size certainly isn't everything, 69 Cole-
brooke Row is one of London's smallest bars but also a must-visit for a true cocktail
aficionado. Serving up a range of exquisite bespoke beverages, Tony Conigliaro is
widely regarded as one of the U.K.'s finest drinks' creators, and applies the same sense
of experimentation and scientific play to the bar that chefs like Heston Blumenthal
have brought to the kitchen. It's open 5pm until midnight Sunday to Wednesday, 5pm
to 1am Thursday, and 5pm to 2am Friday and Saturday.
69 Colebrooke Row, N1.
&
07540/528-593.
www.69colebrookerow.com. Tube: Angel.
The Social
While most bars in the West End exist solely to speed the separation
of your money from your wallet, this curiously thin bar has much nobler aims.
Founded by the team behind the Heavenly record label, The Social offers up great
new bands, surprise big-name DJs, a decent selection of beers, and the guarantee that
come 10pm on a Friday night the place will be jumping. Now entering its second
decade, The Social shows no sign of slowing down, which is just how we like it.
5
Little Portland St., W1.
&
020/7636-4992.
www.thesocial.com. Tube: Oxford Circus.
Vertigo 42
For a truly unique London experience head to Vertigo 42, the
champagne bar at the top of Tower 42 (until 1990 the tallest building in London). At
183 m (600 ft.), the bar offers panoramic views across all of London. Although the
price of drinks may match the bar's own vertiginous heights, for special occasions few
spots can match it.
Tower 42, 25 Old Broad St, EC2.
&
020/7877-7842.
www.vertigo42.co.uk. Tube:
Bank or Liverpool St.
PUBS
The quintessential British experience of dropping into the “local” for a pint of real ale
is a great way to soak up the character of the different villages that form London.
Note, websites such as
Beerinthevening.com
and
Fancyapint.com
host user
reviews of nearly every London pub. Pub opening hours are flexible but fairly stan-
dard: In general you'll find them open from 11am or noon until at least 11pm daily
(sometimes 10:30pm Sun). Many also open later on Friday and Saturday, and most
can stay open if they like when things are still buzzing on any night of the week.
West End
French House
A remnant from Soho's louche past, the French House is a curious
creature. No pint glasses and no mobile phones are the rules of this house, and woe
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