From the eye-popping to the dizzy yet dazzling, check out this article for the weirdest and most amazing bars in London for a dash of drinking in the city.
Turn up the volume on quirky cocktails and ’70s chic as Bobby Fitzpatrick brings North London a whole heap of fun. The cocktail bar specialises in all things retro with vintage wallpaper, signed photographs and a cocktail list that’s inspired by lost loves. Add board games and deep dish pizza and you’re on to a winner.
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You can meet only by appointment at this London basement bar, and even then you are unlikely to find it’s entrance. Your escort will greet you, before you’re eventually invited through the American style Smeg fridge and admitted to a captivating underground drinking space whipping up delicious cocktails and beers with the outside world oblivious to your presence.
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This supposed firm of private investigators is the Robert De Niro of the speakeasy world – it’s so method, you’ll feel like you’re an extra in ‘LA Confidential’. Don’t be fooled – the ‘curious cases’ are all potable… and it’s down to you to solve them. Head along for evenings of suitably retro entertainment, from cabaret and burlesque to ‘Chicago’-style gin and jazz nights.
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What’s cooler than being cool? Throw on a huge quilted jacket and a pair of thermal gloves (both provided) and head down into the UK’s only cocktail bar to be permanently frozen solid. No corners have been cut here, everything down to the glasses have been sculpted from ice.
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A bar, restaurant and nightclub set upon a boat permamently moored on the Thames, you say? Bar & Co offers all this and more, with guests taking interludes from their drinks to marvel at the front row views of the London Eye, Oxo Tower and Houses of Parliament.
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Fu Manchu offers exquisite cocktails for company. Mixes like the Manchu’s Mind Control and Yuzu-Yu are infused using Asian spices and Chinese teas, and there’s vibrant DJ sets until late (3am at weekends) to finish.
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Bunga Bunga is famed for its quirks – from the stairway pastiche of the Sistine Chapel and the vintage mopeds hanging from the ceilings to the sudden parades of dancing girls and the Eurovision-happy karaoke. But what do you expect from a bar named after former Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi’s infamous sex parties. Cocktails are served in novelty vessels, too – from a model of the Leaning Tower of Pisa to a bust of Mario Balotelli.
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Forget the classics, Bourne and Hollingsworth in Fitzrovia are mixing things up with their own unique quirky brand. Perfect for a date night, the venue is a multi-coloured lair of squidgy armchairs, bright wallpaper and juicy cocktails.
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Something of a powerhouse when it comes to playing out in Shoreditch, not only is Old Street Records the place to head for those all important cocktails and delicious pizza bites, there’s a roster of live music events and DJ nights that fit perfectly with the cool, neon-lit backdrop.
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Browse the comic book menu of cocktails before partying the night away to the sounds of classic feel-good tunes at this fun-time bar. It’d be a real waste if you didn’t track down the secret Jub Jub room hidden behind a wardrobe while you’re there, too…
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Ever imagined yourself in ‘Coyote Ugly’? Imagine no more. This inspired bar is bringing back counter-top dancing, big time. It’s on the site of Peter Stringfellow’s old club in Soho. Go figure. And it’s decked out like an American saloon bar. Expect live country tunes and some serious moves from “Harry’s Honeys”’ (their term, not ours).
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Notting Hill has a rockin’ tiki bar, nestled down in the depths of Portobello Road. It’s all retro tiki style, with lots of browns and beaded curtains. You’ll feel like you’re on the set of That Seventies Show, and a pair of your widest bellbottoms would not be out of place.
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Sources: https://www.designmynight.com/london/bars/weird-and-wonderful-bars-in-london
https://www.timeout.com/london/bars-and-pubs/the-best-quirky-bars-and-pubs-in-london
https://londonist.com/london/best-of-london/london-s-most-unusual-bars
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