Hot London bar openings: April

Seven Tales

Housed in the basement of Jason Atherton’s new Japanese restaurant Sosharu in Clerkenwell, Seven Tales is a destination bar in its own right that captures the buzz of Tokyo’s late night drinking dens. Interiors are gritty and urban, from the pink neon “drink saké stay soba” sign and black-and-white comic strip-style wallpaper to a vending machine dispensing sugar cubes.

Drinks take their inspiration from Japanese culture and err on the bitter side of the flavour spectrum via Italian bitters. Beautifully presented, many of the sips feature carved blocks of ice and flower garnishes.

The bar makes a hero of Japanese whisky in a number of its cocktails, such as the Cold Tea, featuring Nikka Blended whiskey, house ‘tea’ and toasted coconut; and the Travelling Man – a twist on a Manhattan made with Nikka All Malt, Lapsang Souchong-infused Cocchi de Torino and a nori tincture. Saké, shochu and umeshu also make cameos on the menu.

Black Rock

The founders of the Worship Street Whistling Shop have struck gold again with their second site – whisky specialist Black Rock on Christopher Street in the City. The dinky basement bar has a killer key feature – running through it is an 185-year-old English oak tree featuring two tributaries filled with whisky, which is served from a tap at the end of the trunk.

Two channels have been carved into the length of the tree with one lined with American charred oak and the other toasted European oak – meaning the whiskies will taste different during each visit due to the increased time they are rested in oak.

Also on offer is a succinct selection of whisky cocktails, including 40 Shades, made with Powers whisky, fresh apple and fennel pollen; Rice, which blends Nikka from the Barrel, sake and coconut; and the Campfire, featuring Bulleit Bourbon, Lagavulin and a vacuum-packed marshmallow. Don’t leave without trying the haggis balls!

Lyan Cellars

Shining a light on his new “wine” range, mixologist Ryan Chetiyawardana will launch a pop-up wine bar – Lyan Cellars – at Lantana Café in Shoreditch. Running for one week only from 11-16 April, Ryan’s three wines will be on sale at the bar by the glass and bottle, alongside a selection of tongue-in-cheek bar snacks. His popular White Lyan bottled cocktails will also be available to buy to take home.

The three “wines” were created by deconstructing and fermenting the flavours found in red and white wine, from apricots and cherries to strawberries and used them as a base for the wines. Spring Break White for example, features apple flower, rhubarb tea and poached apricots; while the Whirlwind Red is made from oaked cherry, spring grapes, lapsang and sage.

Smokey Tails

Meat fiends will be delighted to hear that Smokey Tails, a beats and eats pop-up created by DJ Seth Troxler, is to open a permanent site this month at the Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen. The 64-cover space will offer lazy lunch and Midwest brunches at weekends, with a snack menu served at the bar.

Expect rich barbecue flavours throughout, inspired by family recipes Seth grew up with. Among the finger-licking treats will be spicy sofrito smoked pork, apple wood smoked buffalo chicken wings; honey chicken biscuit sliders and cherry wood smoked lamb ribs, all of which can be washed down with classic cocktails. 

Humble Grape

London wine bar and shop Humble Grape is set to open a second bar on Fleet Street at the beginning of May. The second site will follow similar concept to the Battersea original, but will cater for a more corporate clientele and have a more upmarket feel.

The a 3,600 sq. foot space next to the St Bride’s Church will house a 200 cover bar offering 30 wines by the glass and 300 by the bottle. Diners can also get their teeth around sharing plates like Galician octopus with chargrilled leeks and triple cooked new potatoes; or roast bone marrow with dipping soldiers. A small retail space will sell drops to take home, while an 18-seater private dining room offers views into the cellar.

Spring at Forest

With spring having finally sprung, Forest, Selfridge’s rooftop restaurant and bar has been given a colourful make-over to reflect the change in the seasons. Its fairytale entrance has been festooned with flowers, while the menu has been revamped to reflect what’s in season in the UK.

Celebrating a different vegetable each month, among the new dishes on offer are New Forest pine smoked salmon with caviar dressing; Devonshire goat’s cheese with seasonal vegetables and cobnuts; cod “a la plancha” with shaved asparagus, peas and lovage. Sugar nuts can indulge in strawberry & mint cheesecake, while those in search of cocktails can head to the potting sheds for spring-themed sips served in flowerpots.

Grey Goose bar at Harvey Nichols

High-end vodka brand Grey Goose has teamed up with Harvey Nichols to created a Grey Goose-themed bar on the department store’s fifth floor. Previously sponsored by Perrier-Jouët Champagne, the new bar serves twists on classic cocktails and the brand’s famous signature serve, the Grey Goose Le Fizz.

Different flavour expressions of the vodka, from orange and citron to pear will be on pour at the bar, alongside light bites. Interiors are pared down, and aim to capture a modern French feel via pale grey walls and charcoal grey bar stools.

Alice in Wonderland pop-up at Proud

While Alice in Wonderland-themed events have been done to death, we never seem to tire of them. Proud Camden is the latest to have jumped on the bandwagon, having turned its roof terrace into wonderland to celebrate the book’s 150^th birthday this year.

Waiting staff will be dressed up at the Mad March Hair and playing cards, while libations are surreal in nature, and include two twists on a Bloody Mary – the Bloody Alice, and the Red Queen as well as a duo of gin-based ‘Tweedle-Dum’ and ‘Tweedle-Dee’ cocktails.

Below the Smoke

Skandy restaurant Rök Smokehouse in Shoreditch has opened a basement cocktail bar, Below the Smoke. The 24-seater space will serve seasonal cocktails created by Matt Whiley, aka the Talented Mr Fox, which will change four times a year with the seasons.

Shining a light on Scandinavian ingredients, and the trend there for smoking and fermenting, pickling and brining, among the 10 cocktails on offer will be the Earth and Trees, made with burnt beetroot distillate, birch sap shrub and dry vermouth; Seasonal Bones, featuring a duck bone distillate, whisky, and plum vermouth; and the Orchard Monster, madeo with Peated scotch, Poire William, dandelion honey and pickled chartreuse, which can be enjoyed with duck paté and fermented cloudberry.