Dining Out: Five London Martinis I Have Known and Loved

Or, how to get very pissed very stylishly.

It’s hard to say exactly why the martini has become so popular among young Londoners over the past couple of years. Maybe it’s something to do with exclusivity culture, “quiet luxury” and the way that acquired tastes – and giving the appearance of having them – interact with those things. Maybe it’s because people want the most possible alcohol for their money now that it costs £100 every time you dare to leave the house, maybe it’s because there genuinely is some weird alchemy that happens when you combine gin or vodka + vermouth + olive brine or lemon peel, which just makes it irresistibly but sort of uncomfortably delicious, same way cigarettes or blue cheese are delicious. Maybe it’s just because they look wicked in a photo. Probably it’s some combination of all of those factors, really. 

Regardless of the reason, however, the fact is that martinis are big. I had them on the brain this week because I just visited a spot – for next week’s Thursday review, actually – where they’re a large part of the sell, so I figured I’d get you warmed up ahead of that, by telling you a bit about a few places in London where I think the martinis are tasty or interesting or in some way unique. 

I don’t claim to be an expert, of course, I am just someone who drinks a lot of martinis with great enthusiasm. You could maybe call me a knowledgeable fan at best – though broadly speaking, if you do want to know my criteria, I’d say that what makes a good one is a sheeny sip that doesn’t make you wince (much), a very very cold glass, and either total classicism or confident twists on the standard form. These are the things I kept in mind, then, when composing this short list. Without further ado, here is a small collection of five London martinis that I have known and loved, from training wheel martinis in Soho to throwback hotel bar martinis on the Strand: