Once upon a time, pulling up a seat at the bar could only be done with a cocktail, whisky, or glass of wine in hand. But not anymore. Whether you’re one of the many people planning on cutting back on the booze before Christmas, then fear not: that doesn’t mean missing out on all the fun. From Mayfair to Shoreditch, and Notting Hill to Tower Hill, we have rounded up the best London bars for alcohol-free drinking, serving fruity blends, CBD infusions and stylish, luxurious tea pairings.
Christina’s, Shoreditch
Birch mocktail. Image: Lateef Photography
East London’s hidden bar Christina’s, located on the ground floor of the Mondrian Shoreditch, is a leafy spot to enjoy a selection of non-alcoholic sustainable sips. Choose from Birch, Christina’s signature non-alcoholic cocktail, which blends Everleaf Forest and homemade birch soda resulting in a refreshing drink, or the Apple Mocktail made with Botivo aperitif, verjus, borage honey, and Idyll Wild apple soda. If you’re looking for a unique non-alcoholic option, the Cornish Mary combines Pentire Seaward, Koji Kins mushroom garum, Townsend Garm apple cider vinegar, tomato juice and hot sauce for a spicy kick.
45 Curtain Road, EC2A 3PT, visit book.ennismore.com
Swift, Borough
Tempest mocktail
Swift’s latest outpost in Borough is the perfect place for those looking to escape the bustling streets of London. While the brand of bars, spanning Soho to Shoreditch, is famed for its award-winning cocktails, the low and no menus are also worth a try during Sober October. Nip downstairs to discover the private seated-only area which offers stronger cocktails, or enjoy a light and low ABV aperitivo-style drinks upstairs. A menu highlight is The Tempest, made with Darjeeling kombucha, elderflower cordial, lemon sherbet and honey. Using a subtle fermented tea as a base, this cocktail is floral, citric and herbaceous, proving mocktails can be just as flavourful as their alcoholic sisters.
66 Borough High Street, SE1 1XF, visit barswift.com
The Donovan Bar, Mayfair
Image: Janos Grapow
The Donovan Bar, located inside the historic Brown’s Hotel in Mayfair, has launched a new cocktail menu, Evoke, by master mixologists Salvatore Calabrese and Federico Pavan. Aiming to take you on a journey into your emotions through taste, scent and sight, each cocktail’s flavours, ingredients and techniques have been carefully crafted to provoke a different response unique to each person. The menu also features a wide selection of low ABV and non-alcoholic options, as well as offering many of the usual suspects to be replicated in non-alcoholic form. Our favourite is Gratitude, featuring Everleaf forest and coffee infused with peach and citrus.
33 Albemarle Street, W1S 4BP, visit roccofortehotels.com
Baccarat Bar, Knightsbridge
Located in the basement of Harrods in Knightsbridge, Baccarat Bar has launched its new menu Metamorphosis which is inspired by the unique know-how of its bar team and the transformation of modest ingredients into masterpieces. Using 12 different methods – including fermentation, caramelisation and oxidation – the menu features 16 refined cocktails and four non-alcoholic options served in luxurious Baccarat glassware. The menu’s elevated non-alcoholic selection, served in dimly-lit and ruby-hued surroundings, includes Heatwave: Everleaf Forest, salted mango, penja pepper and Earl Grey tea served in a Louxor Tumbler.
87-135 Brompton Road, SW1X 7XL, visit harrods.com
La Dame De Pic, City of London
The world’s most decorated female chef, Anne-Sophie Pic, isn’t just famed for her foodie flair, but for redefining the art of drink pairing. Just see the launch of ‘Imprégnation Absolue’, a new, non-alcoholic drink pairing menu at La Dame De Pic. The intricate extractions, fermentations and infusions of the flowers and herbs used have been tried and tested at her Valencian lab, with the teas taking on a new dimension, elevating the dishes they accompany. We particularly love the Genmaicha Collins, Seedlip Martini, and Hon Gyokura tea, which are served as an aromatic prelude to prepare diners for the aromas that will be blended into their dishes.
10 Trinity Square, EC3N 4AJ, visit ladamedepiclondon.co.uk
Artesian at The Langham, Marylebone
Set within the luxurious five-star London hotel, The Langham’s destination bar Artesian is famed for its cocktails. Following the success of her first menu, Connections, head mixologist Giulia Cuccurullo has recently debuted her new collection: Ingredients of the Future. Combining imaginative and progressive mixology with refined style, the new menu features 16 drinks, each celebrating a single ingredient which contributes to a healthier planet. Non-alcoholic options include the Sweet Potato – a vibrant, spritz-style mocktail made with atopia citrus, Martini Vibrante and Oddbird Blanc de Blancs – and the bold Pandan, featuring Seedlip Spice, wild rice, lime and tapioca. Who said being dry had to be, well, dry?
1C Portland Place, W1B 1JA, visit artesian-bar.co.uk
Tattu London, Tottenham Court Road
Keen to attract the ever-growing sober-curious crowd, the virgin cocktails at Tattu London are a great option all year round – but especially for those trying to keep it clean until November. We particularly like the Sweet Skullduggery, a non-alcoholic blend of kiwi, blueberries and lychee, as well as the Green Pear Collins with roasted Asian pear and yuzu, both of which celebrate the traditional Chinese flavours for which the restaurant is known. Sitting proudly on the rooftop of the newly emerged The Now Building in the Outernet development, the Phoenix Bar and Terrace offer some of the best views in London – with or without the bubbly.
The Now Building Rooftop, Denmark Street, WC2H 0LA, visit tattulondon.com
The Goring Bar, Victoria
Proudly mixing some of the best cocktails in the capital for more than a century, the menu at The Goring screams Best of British – and the non-alcoholic versions aren’t lacking in patriotic spirit. We can’t get enough of the Victory Tea, which was inspired by weekly visitor Winston Churchill, who would come for afternoon tea with his mother-in-law – a permanent hotel resident. It’s a perfect blend of Everleaf Forest, raspberry syrup, cranberry juice, and citric solution, topped with Frankly and Sons grapefruit tonic. Elsewhere, Mister M also features Everleaf Forest with raspberry basil cordial and rhubarb and hibiscus soda while The Teetotaller draws on summery notes of orange, elderflower, garden mint and lemonade. Keep calm and stay sober.
15 Beeston Place, SW1W 0JW, visit thegoring.com
Los Mochis, Notting Hill
While Los Mochis is known as one of the top tequila sellers in the UK, the pan-Pacific dishes of Mexican-Japanese fusion are no less delicious when accompanied by a house mocktail – the perfect place for an autumnal get-together. Add some spice into your life with the El Nodo Matto infused with pineapple, wasabi, sesame, lime and agave or if you’re a coffee lover, opt for the Tonka Iced Coffee with salted caramel, mint, tonka beans and your choice of milk.
2-4 Farmer Street, W8 7SN, visit losmochis.co.uk
The Dandy Bar, Mayfair
An all-day dining destination that transforms into an all-out evening ‘experience’, The Dandy Bar is the heart and soul of The Mayfair Townhouse – whether you’re partaking in the hedonism or not. Drawing inspiration from the stars of stage and screen, the theatrical bar serves some of the most expressive mocktails in town. May we recommend the three house signatures: the Cucumber Sling, which comprises apple juice, elderflower, citrus oil, mint and soda water; the No Booze, No Problem with Seedlip Spice, grapefruit juice, lemon juice and gomme syrup; and the Twin’s Favourite, a merry brew of Seedlip Grove, lime juice, agave syrup and grapefruit soda. And don’t forget to ask about the Mocktail of the Month.
27-41 Half Moon Street, W1J 7BG, themayfairtownhouse.com
The Hari Bar, Belgravia
Located in the heart of Belgravia and adorned with an impressive rota of incredible art, The Hari Bar is an intimate and glamorous sanctuary brimming with stylish, swanky mocktails that won’t leave you feeling ‘less than’. The Sweet Seduction is a dangerously drinkable combination of passionfruit, apple juice, honey and aloe vera, while the simple but no less delicious Cranberry Sour mixes cranberry, lime and egg white. For something refreshing, go for the Gardener’s Tipple with its blend of apple, lemongrass, basil, berries and ginger beer, while Moroccan Nights is ideal for those who are craving a mojito.
20 Chesham Place, SW1X 8HQ, visit thehari.com
Amazonico, Mayfair
The bar and lounge at Amazonico is a haven of high-energy hedonism, drumming to an electro, Latin American-inspired beat, every night of the week. But don’t be afraid of joining the carnival, even if you won’t be partaking in the mojitos. Try the Chicha Morada, with Seedlip Grove, Chicha Morada, lemon and soda for a real taste of the rainforest, or the Edi-groni, comprising of Edi (hemp & CBD), with non-alcoholic vermouth and bitter. The Save the Jungle mocktail, made from Yaguara Cachaça, lime, tamarillo and anise is also a great sustainable and low ABV option, with one tree being planted in the Amazon for every sale of the drink.
10 Berkeley Square, W1J 6BR, visit amazonicorestaurant.com
Nightjar Carnaby, Soho
A hidden slice of old-school glamour in the heart of the West End (and Shoreditch), Nightjar boasts a prohibition-themed menu, as well as some signatures, sharers, and, of course, alcohol-free options. May we recommend the bittersweet Euphoric Life of Three Spirit Livener, Edi Endorphin, guanabana juice, Peruvian marigold syrup with mandarin, as well as the Virgin Mai Tai infusing pistachio and walnut orgeat, fresh lime and honey. Juice joint indeed…
49-51 Carnaby Street, W1F 9PY, visit nightjarcarnaby.com
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