With swallow-themed wallpaper, knobs on the gents’ door and knockers on the ladies’, this basement bar is kind of kitsch and, accompanied by a soundtrack of guilty pleasures, kind of cheesy.
A bit of a tight squeeze when busy with an up-for-it after-work crowd, the L-shaped bar area is overseen by a team of established and experienced bartenders whose drinks are made quickly and competently with no small amount of smiley showboating. The drinks list contains both contemporary and classic London cocktails alongside some gin drinks and a section dedicated to gastro-mixology – cocktails inspired by the kitchen.
The retro food menu is big on British and a touch tongue-in-cheek, with pick ’n’ mix, penny chews and screwballs featuring beside pork scratchings, sharing platters and pudding cocktails.