Address: 9 Russell Street, Covent Garden, London WC2B 5HZ
Website: experimentalgroup.com
On a cobbled alley, in a row of 19th-century workshops, the Umbrella Workshop flickers with Dickensian atmosphere. Step inside and you will find a tiny, often candlelit bar that is, in some ways, deeply contemporary. A sort of test kitchen for more famous siblings like Bethnal Green’s Sun Tavern and Spitalfields’ Discount Suit Company, this is where the group’s talented cocktail team soft launch their latest creations. Behind the fun names (‘Hong Kong Ping Pong’, ‘Do Not Redeem’) lie some seriously inventive drinks – last Christmas there was a gorgeous Ginger Old Fashioned. On account of its size and popularity among the city’s cocktail cognoscenti, this is definitely one to book ahead.
Address: 10 Cleeve Workshops, Boundary Street, Shoreditch, London E2 7JD
Website: theumbrellaproject.co.uk
On a Mayfair shopping spree, the foodie enclave of Bruton Place is always worth keeping in mind. A couple of doors down from the Guinea Grill, Brutes is a 2026 opening with real pedigree behind it. Founders James Stevenson and Guy Mazuch met while working for JKS (the influential group behind restaurants from Gymkhana to Legado). Martinis, caviar, crisps and gildas – their new place hits a number of trends that have defined the London scene this year. The martini menu is front and centre: tick the boxes to choose your spirit, your style (dry to dirty) and your garnish (Monster Munch, anyone?). For a novel pick-me-up, you might prefer the G.O.A.T (olive oil vodka, espresso, goat’s whey penny lick and miso). The classical stylings of this long, thin and low-slung newcomer will make you forget this is its first Christmas.
Address: 34a Bruton Place, Mayfair, London W1J 6NR
Website: brutesofmayfair.com