“Alcohol may be man's worst enemy, but the bible says love your enemy.” – Frank Sinatra. William Gadsby Peet lists his top 20 cocktail bars in Surrey & SW London within which to do battle with one's worst enemy. Drink responsibly!
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Bosco Cocktail Lounge
The glamorous Bosco Lounge in Surbiton is an excellent place to head for a classy evening of laid-back fun supplied by the true dons of cocktail creation. Bosco is a listed member of the World's Best Cocktail Bars association, of which there are only 40 bars in London prestigious enough to make the cut.
Those looking to organise a night out for a group of friends or just enjoy a little exclusivity will be pleased to know that any area of the Bosco lounge can be reserved for free, any day, any night.
Top tipple: Flower Power – Pure elderflower provides anti-oxidants, amino acids and vitamin C, stirred with Havana Club, lime juice and topped with soda giving a refreshing finish. It almost sounds healthy which means I can definitely drink 6 of them without feeling bad right?
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The Adventure Bar
In the bar's own words this is a venue that is "Based in a time travellers workshop and home, part-Victorian museum part-re-imagining of the future". The quirky blurb on its website gives a perfect insight into the kind of mad, off-the-wall fun a night out at Adventure Bar entails. Whether its the bar's 'Take Over Tuesday' night where the music and cocktails are chosen (and sometimes served) by you, or its infamous 'Shot in the Dark' (Six Casco Viejo tequilas, one infused with chilli, but which one?) there's plenty of fun options for a night out that's a little bit different.
The food is also well worth a look with some gloriously sticky chicken wings, kurrywurst, giant plates of nachos and BYOB (build your own burger) options to keep the stomach well and truly lined.
Top tipple: Jedi Night – Dark rum, Eristoff vodka, amaretto, lime, grenadine, pineapple juice, orange juice. This bad boy comes in the bar's signature popcorn box (serving 2-3) with the option to upgrade it to a 'mega poptail' (serving 5-8). Far more importantly it comes with a free lightsaber, we can pretend that we're all adults here and the offer of a free lightsaber isn't going to make us buy something but we both know that would be a whopping great lie. Take my money!
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Goat in Chelsea
The brilliantly named Goat in Chelsea is an entire night out packed in to one venue with a variety of entertainment spread out across 3 floors. Punters can grab some superb Italian cuisine in the restaurant on the ground floor before heading up to the not so imaginatively named DRINK cocktail bar and Chelsea Prayer Room on the first floor. The cocktails are fantastic and the Prayer Room is a really cool little speakeasy style bolt-hole which you need a special code to get into that changes daily (which I know as a fully grown adult shouldn't make me feel like VIP/spy, but it absolutely does).
This is a great venue to keep in mind for a special occasion or staff party as the Chelsea Prayer Room and Crypt (an intimate 24 seater dining room located in the basement) are both available for private hire as is the entire DRINK bar avec DJ if you work for a larger company with a deep wallet.
Top tipple: Papa Don’t Peach – tea infused stolichnaya vodka, fresh peach, lemon, sugar, peach bitters. I love the delicious taste of this cocktail and I also love the terrible dad pun as well. See also: Jamaican Me Crazy, Midsummer Nights Beam, Paddington Pear, Tequila Mockingbird and Huckleberry Gin.
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Komo
Located in the heart of Guilford town centre and just a five-minute walk from the train station, you will find Kokomo: a swanky combination of classic cocktails, fine music and good food. Kokomo is inspired by mixing natural ingredients with quality spirits to ensure ravishing cocktails every time. With plenty of seating, a dance floor and an open stage this is an ideal place to let loose to some of the best live music in Guildford.
Top tipple: Lemon Curd Sour – why describe it when you can watch a show off pro barman make it? Check out the youtube clip by clicking here
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So Bar
An intimate table service cocktail bar in the heart of Richmond, So Bar attracts a chic crowd who know how to have a good time. Choose between white leather high stool seating or a more private back room with sofas that are perfect for woozy cocktail-induced liaisons. With the main bar being table service only it's worth booking ahead to avoid disappointment.
So Bar also put on an absolutely brilliant jazz evening every other Wednesday with some of London's premier jazz musicians regularly performing, these nights are a great opportunity to sit back, sip cocktails, eat olives and pretend you are a cultured functioning member of adult society.
Top tipple: Beverley Hills Iced Tea – Gin, rum, tequila, vodka, triple sec, lime juice, topped with champagne and a dash of sugar. You have to respect a bar that looks at the Long Island Ice Tea and decides it needs more alcohol, I'm tipsy just looking at the recipe for this monster!
Looking for a more grape based tipple? You can check out our roundup of the best local wine bars by clicking here
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The Playground Croydon
This bar is the brainchild of Sarah Katchis and her dad Spyros, in a previous life Sarah worked as a celebrity fashion stylist and this is evident in the highly stylish decor of the interior.
Drinks wise Playground is another weird and wonderful cocktail bar that enjoys whipping up some truly avant-garde cocktails that play around with unusual molecular techniques ranging from orange zest-infused balloons to green tea ice spheres. Expect to see twists like toasted marshmallows, strawberry fudge and raspberry bubbles, popping candy and applewood smoke incorporated into your drink of choice in a whacky and innovative menu.
Top tipple: Last Season – Woodfood Reserve Bourbon, Ardbeg 10 year single malt, Antica Formula, Orange Bitters served under a glass bell dome of applewood smoke. I deeply, deeply love an old-fashioned, like deeply. Normally I turn my nose up at variations on the Old Fashioned but this is a truly scrumptious innovation of the classic and sipping from a smoking chalice looks awesome; like an urban alcoholic vampire!
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Hemingways Wimbledon
Having been awarded 'Best Cocktail Bar in South-west London' in Time and Leisure 2016, Hemingway's is an establishment that would make its namesake proud with an impressive array of award-winning cocktails and a polished, well styled aesthetic. As well as fabulous cocktails the bar also provides an excellent range of fine wine and serves up some decent grub as well, its homemade pizzas are particularly tasty.
The bar even offers a 'Hemingway's at Home' service which can range from just a pro bartender making cocktails to a full fancy dress bash with a DJ, ice sculpture, marquee, casino and pop up bar.
Top tipple: Pomme D’Hemingways – A large measure of Jack Daniels shaken with organic apple sauce, orange bitters, lime, sugar and apple juice topped with lemonade. It was always going to have to be a cocktail named after the man himself.
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South Beats Cocktail Bar & Lounge
Owned by a trio who have a decade of experience running one of London's music venues under their belts, South Beats offers the vibrancy of the West End in Croydon. The bar's owners – Darwin, Wadim and Amir – are always on hand to greet guests, take orders and serve drinks, giving this cocktail bar a really nice personal feel.
Situated over two floors, you can enjoy a delicious drink in a relaxed environment upstairs or choose to get the party started on our lower floor with some of South Beats resident London DJs providing all the latest hits.
Top tipple: The Captain’s Pleasure – Captain Morgan Original Spiced Gold, Fresh Pineapple Juice, Ripe Raspberries and Mint Leaves, enhanced with Tangy Lemon. This is is a wonderfully fresh and reviving drink plus it sounds like the punchline to a Carry On film which tickles my admittedly childish sense of humour.
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Red Bar & Restaurant
Owned by the family of former Eastenders and Hollyoaks actress Gemma Bissix, RED is a popular hangout for local celebrities and has the most extensive selection of spirits and liqueurs in town. As well as a large selection of exciting cocktails on their menu, the highly trained mixologists will be happy to fix you up something bespoke.
RED tends to have at least one event a week going on which are always a great laugh. Live saxophonists, jazz musicians, DJs and the occasional Tina Turner tribute night are a brilliant way to burn off some of those cocktail calories.
The bar also does a number of beginners cocktail training classes which are great to keep in mind for a staff night out or birthday party as something a little bit different.
Top Tipple: The Chocolate Martini – A delicate mix of Absolut Vanilla vodka, Frangelico, chocolate schnapps and white chocolate liqueur. Stirred, served straight up and dusted with burnt cinnamon. Put on weight and get tipsy at the same time? Sign me up!
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The Botanist Farnham
Yes, yes I know the Botanist is probably as much a restaurant as it is cocktail bar but the unique stuff these guys do with botanicals and liqueurs make it well worthy of inclusion on this fantastically well-written cocktail roundup. Whether it's the freshly squeezed fruit juice, the home infused gins, vodkas rums etc. or just the quite frankly bonkers cocktail combos they come up with, there are few people doing anything nearly as exciting and creative as the Botanist and its merry band of mixologist maestros.
With the fantastic restaurant, live music every night and a lovely outdoor roof terrace this is a great place for versatility as it is equally suited for a cocktail-heavy brunch or full night out on the town with dancing and sangria.
Top tipple: Passionate Ginger – Tanqueray No. Ten gin, ginger and passion fruit topped with Passionate Blonde beer. Beer in a cocktail? It shouldn't work but it does!
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Sugar Cane bar
Looking for summer vibes all year round in the heart of southwest London? Visit this Polynesian themed cocktail bar located in Clapham and enjoy a wide selection of luxurious rums from the Pacific and Caribbean regions. The Sugar Cane bar aims to put the 'Aloha' spirit of the Polynesian islands in to everything they do and it's reflected in the bar's awesome decor (the bar includes several tiki huts in its outside area as well as a 'Pirates Cave'. Yaaaaar!) as well as its tropical food and drink selection, not to mention its various 'tiki throw down' and Hawaiian themed evenings.
If the aloha vibes aren't enough of a draw, the bar also has a wide variety of really good deals when it comes to food and drink. For example, if you can get a party of 15 together then the bar offers happy hour prices on its classic cocktails all night. You can also buy a ten litre Tiki Death Punch bowl (serves 50 people) for £260, making this a great venue for a big group night out that will certainly end with a thoroughly tropical hangover the morning after.
Top tipple: Pele's (the Tahitian Goddess of fire). Vodka, rum & passion fruit, served aflame. I don't know if you caught that last part but this cocktail arrives ON FIRE!
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The Southsider Cocktail Club
This is a cool, slightly edgy cocktail bar with exposed brickwork and graphics from one of London's leading underground street artists creating an interior design that pays homage to the New York drinking scene. This would be a good place to take someone on a first date to give the impression you're a little bit hipster and dangerous, maybe grow a handlebar moustache and refer to yourself as the baron/baroness for the night as well!
The homage to the New York cocktail scene goes further than just the decor with friendly and talented staff as well as an ever-evolving (and award-winning) cocktail list that is shaped by customer feedback. If you're feeling brave ask the bar staff for a ‘dealers choice’ and they will conjure up a special beverage just for you.
Top tipple: Cerise – Artisanal Cherry Brandy and Champagne with a bitters-soaked cherry sugar cube. Artisanal, what a brilliantly classy word!
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Rocksalt Ascot
The Rocksalt is a wonderfully versatile restaurant/cocktail bar/club combination a mere stone's throw away from Ascot station. The many different functions of this venue make it perfect for a variety of occasions, whether it's grabbing a boozy brunch in the superb restaurant before a day of races at Ascot Racecourse or dancing the night away in the Upstairs Lounge to one of the resident DJs and Rocksalt's late weekend license (until 3 am).
The cocktails on offer, which are mainly traditional with the occasional twist, are made to a high standard by a well-drilled bar staff. The decor is really swish, a chic combination of old and new styles to give a thoroughly classy feel to proceedings. Make sure to get involved with the Rocksalt's Oriental Express night every Wednesday which offers a live pianist and a wide variety of tapas and mezze style dishes representing some of the countries the Orient Express travelled through.
Top tipple: Kir Royal – crème de cassis topped with champagne and a fresh blackberry. Yes I know it's not exactly the most exciting cocktail in the world but the Kir Royal is classy as heck and will make you feel like you belong in such a swanky establishment as the Rocksalt.
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Joules Bar Reigate
Open Wednesday to Saturday, Joules bar is a great option for a raucous night out in Reigate. Generally busy and with a DJ throwing down energetic live music every night, this isn't a good choice for those looking to spend a quiet night sipping at some booze and watching the world go by. For those of you looking for a real party atmosphere however, this is a perfect spot. It has a wide range of quality cocktails that are made to a high standard by the slick bar staff even on a Saturday night when things are a little hectic.
The bar also has a lovely outside smoking area that's a perfect haven to cool down in after a lengthy session of late night boogieing on the bar's dance floor.
Top tipple: Thriller in Vanilla – Raspberry & Vanilla vodka is shaken with Passoa, Cranberry & fresh lemon. Whilst this is a deliciously zesty cocktail with a really clean flavour I chose it mainly because as I mentioned before, I love a terrible pun!
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All Bar One
I'm well aware that it's not exactly a huge scoop to inform you that All Bar One make good cocktails but this is a particularly classy branch located right in the heart of Guildford's town centre. Along with the usual array of great traditional and modern cocktails this All Bar One also has an incredibly good wine list which combined with its excellent softails means there's something to appeal to a variety of tastes within your social group (up until 6 pm they even have a kids menu!).
With slick service and a polished chromatic decor this is a great place for a classy evening of cultured drinking (if such a thing exists). They also offer a number of interesting deals on different days like the bar's Wine Down Wednesday and Sunday Social
Top tipple: Jägerfrappé – Jägermeister, Absolut Vanilia vodka and Cazcabel coffee tequila. If an alcoholic milkshake doesn't make you happy there is something truly wrong with you.
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Caballo Lounge
The Caballo Lounge in Epsom is a particularly nice branch of The Lounges that offers a chilled out environment within which to sip cocktails and eat good food. The relaxed vibe is helped by a lovely lounge like decor (obviously) with a cool equine twist. The bar has 16 Jockey Silks from some of the most famous Epsom Derby winners on display in the bar area. There is also a really nice roof terrace that can fit 40 people for a scintillating spot of outdoor dining/drinking.
The cocktail list is relatively small but well put together with some interesting twists as well as all the classics you'd expect. This is a great option to keep in mind if you're looking for a family friendly cocktail spot (responsible parenting and all that) as they work hard to accommodate 'little loungers' offering plenty of games, a full kids menu (non-alcoholic obviously).
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