Fancy a Swift one? The answer will always be ‘yes’ once you get to know this swish, two-level cocktail bar on Soho’s buzzy Old Compton Street, not exactly an area short on somewhere to grab a drink. Part of what makes this place so special, though, is that it’s essentially two joints in one. The ground-level is more chill, offering the likes of aperitivos and wines, while the bar below offers the chance to channel your inner Don Draper with whiskies and headier mixes. Swift Soho was founded by Bobby Hiddleston and Mia Johansson, who met when they were shaking it at the sadly shuttered cocktail institution Milk & Honey, so it’s no wonder the service and mixology is so top-notch they’ve also opened branches in Borough and Shoreditch. For a bit of old-school Soho glamour with regular jazz and ragtime sessions, though, you know where to go.
Order this
While the Borough and Shoreditch gaffs offer (slightly) more comprehensive food menus, the Soho original sticks to bar snacks such as olives and chilli rice crackers. It’s garlanded with awards for the drinks, after all, and the downstairs menu is teeming with mouth-watering options such as the fruity Fourth Wall.
Time Out tip
A mini bar-crawl in one, Swift is great for dates: start off in the relaxed top bar and head to the cloistered downstairs if you’re left wanting more.
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