In Search Of Cool Cocktail Bars In London

In search of cool cocktails bars in London, or should I say just one real good cocktail bar with an even better happy hour is what I’m on the look out for. I have had a craving for enjoying a few cocktails the past few days and today I’m going to do what a guy has to do and that is find some bar that wont bankrupt me and at the same time knows how to make them properly. Am I asking for too much, in London I probably could well be!

I don’t know how many cool cocktail bars there are in London, but I’m hazarding a guess that it shouldn’t be too tricky to find plenty of them in this city. Every day I walk past some of the swankiest and coolest looking bars that I have ever seen any where in my life, but whether they are all show without any substance I’m not too sure?

As all true cocktail connoisseurs know, that what makes a great cocktail is a combination of having the correct and quality ingredients, along with careful preparation. Cocktail preparation also requires decent tools, patience and practice. You can now see why it is so difficult to get half decent cocktail in any city, let alone in London.

I think the major problem nowadays is the huge choice of cocktails that many bars have and the fact that most bars have such a huge turnover of staff. I just have to laugh when you see the bar tender reading the ingredients as they make the cocktail, you just know it is going to taste like crap. The average bar person in London can barely remember or get it right when you order 3 normal drinks, let alone remembering how to make the 20 different cocktails they have on the menu.

I also know if I have the misfortune to order a cocktail in one of those fancy bars where the 5’10″ polish wannabe model that keeps looking at herself in the mirror, that she isn’t gonna have a clue as how to make a cocktail properly. Or those twats that love to throw the bottles around, they should start with the basics and learn how to mix excellent cocktails before they do the fancy rubbish. The model  girls and show off bartenders all think they look so cool, but it would be even cooler if they could actually make decent cocktails, now that would be really cool.

To save me from wandering aimlessness on the streets of London, I have utilised the master of the Universe Google to help me in my quest for cool London cocktail bars that have a happy hour this evening. I thought it shouldn’t be too difficult to find something to meet my very simple needs. First of all find bar that has a happy hour, sells cocktails and has some good reviews, now that shouldn’t be too difficult, should it.

The big problem I have found is that too many bars in London have their PR people, bar tenders or waitreses going on to some of the review sights, and giving themselves glowing reviews. Sometimes it is so obvious, they must think that their overly descriptive and in-depth spotless reviews that they have written are believable. I suppose it works both ways, the PR guys are slagging off the competition next door and giving them the biggest slating ever. So anything I read on these reviews sights is taken with a big pinch of salt.

When I was living in Barbados, I had a three favourite bars that I would head to when I was in the mood for a cocktail or 3, especially a Pina Colada that because it was made with the proper ingredients and it was mixed by someone with knowledge, it would taste unbelievable good. I suppose the Caribbean ambiance and warm air added to the whole experience, it was heavenly. You know something none of my favourite  3 cocktail bars were over the top fancy or had love themselves bar tenders or management. But they did what I expect from a bar, they served excellent drinks, in comfortable surroundings with good music. And I almost forgot that it only cost around £2.50 for a big glass of Pina colada and that wasn’t even happy hour. The more I think about it, London  sometimes isn’t as cool as I think it is!

Hopefully I will find some London cocktail bars this evening that can make half decent fancy drinks properly. Or failing that just one London cocktail bar that can get it right, will do just fine. So if you see some guy wandering around Covent Garden this evening looking like he is on a mission, that will be me!

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