Modern science meets old-school manners

Noteworthy for: Brought to you by Fluid Movement, a forward-thinking cocktail-making collective, this is their second London bar after Purl in Marylebone - another charming combination of Victorian squalor and elegance.

Along a quiet backstreet, through a discreetly signposted door and down a dimly lit flight of stairs, you'll find impeccably groomed bartenders mixing old-fashioned drinks. Not everything is vintage inspired; the cocktails are given a hi-tech twist with ingredients from the bar's subterranean lab (chlorophyll bitters, malic acid and super heat-treated beer all feature prominently).

The place can get uncomfortably crowded during the usual peak times, and their online reservation system for tables is not always reliable. But visit on a quiet weekday afternoon and you'll find space to stretch out, plus a genuinely charming Old London atmosphere.