Spelzini, Shoreditch

Jim Fisher, founder of all-day Italian café Spelzini, has launched Luigi’s Bar in Shoreditch. Inspired by Jim’s Italian heritage and Mediterranean dining culture, Luigi’s focuses on artisanal antipasti including craft salami and small-producer bresaola and burrata, alongside contemporary aperitivi and wines made with native Italian grapes. Fisher has co-designed the cocktail menu with mixologist Fin Spiteri of Quo Vadis and Rochelle Canteen. It features drinks such as ‘Cherry Shrub Negroni’, ‘Clementine Aperol Shrub’, and ‘Truffle and Olive Frozen Martini’. There’s also a dedicated vermouth menu. Right on Shoreditch High Street, Luigi’s takes its cues from the best of modern Italian design: visitors can grab a seat on low-slung leathers sofas, at elongated marble tables, or stand shoulder to shoulder at the bar.

154-158 Shoreditch High Street, Shoreditch, E1 6HU

Visit Spelzini.co.uk 

Little Bat, Islington

Little Bat is the newly made-over little sister of revered cocktail bar Callooh Callay. It embraces the excellent drinks philosophy of its counterpart with an extensive and seasonally sensitive cocktail list. Regular drinkers can subscribe to the ‘family cabinet’, where you can store your own 700ml bottle of spirits to share with friends for £50 a month. From 11pm on weekends, the dining area is cleared and bar guests are invited to party the night away with music, drinks and nibbles from the all-night bar snacks menu.

54 Islington Park Street, Islington, N1 1PX 

Visit LittleBatBar.com

Ballie Ballerson, Soho

Ball pit and cocktail bar Ballie Ballerson has opened a second venue in Soho. (Its original Shoreditch site is now closed for a refurb and not due to reopen until early November.) The new place has two large ball pits: one in glowing neon; the other with vibrant, bespoke wall murals inspired by Soho’s unique atmosphere. In addition to an extensive light-hearted cocktail menu featuring drinks such as ‘Soho Sundown’, there are pizza and bar snacks to get your energy levels up post-ball pit. The interior design is inspired by the 80s, the 90s and new music genre vaporwave to create a cool and nostalgic adult’s playground.

53-54 Berwick Street, Soho, W1F 8SP

Visit BallieBallerson.com

Haymarket Wine House, St James’s

The Haymarket Wine House offers more than 125 wines ranging from full-bodied reds to crisp and fruity whites, with grape varieties from Europe and beyond. For more experimental drinkers, a Wine Paddle is three small-vineyard wines served with a trio of cheeses to share. Downstairs is an elegant, bistro-inspired space that can be booked for parties and private functions. A simple and reasonable menu offers dishes such as steak and frites served with a choice of sauces for £10.
66 Haymarket, London St James’s, SW1Y 4UY

Visit HaymarketWineHouse.com

No 35 Mackenzie Walk, Canary Wharf

The Darwin & Wallace collection of sustainable neighbourhood bars just got bigger with the opening of No 35 Mackenzie Walk in Canary Wharf. A stone’s throw from the tube station, and with a south-facing waterside terrace spanning the length of the bar, it serves Monday-morning coffee through to Friday-evening cocktails and into lazy weekend breakfasts and Sunday roasts. First and foremost, though, it’s a bar, offering seasonal cocktails, a large variety of gins, plus craft and draft beers, and house wines by the glass, carafe or bottle.  A large feature bar is surrounded by feasting tables, bar-top seating and cosy sofas to lounge on, sticking with the home-from-home aesthetic with a hint of the local that has led Darwin & Wallace to win three Restaurant & Bar Design awards.

29-35 Mackenzie Walk, Canary Wharf, E14 4PH

Visit No35MackenzieWalk.co.uk

Bottles Chelsea

Following on from a successful Old Spitalfields Market launch last year, Bottles is venturing into west London with the opening of a new site on Draycott Avenue. Bringing its signature Italian-inflected style to a new space, Bottles Chelsea will focus on micro-producers, and natural and fine wines alongside a freshly cooked, zero-waste food offering. It will offer a concise and approachable menu in a simple format, with sommeliers on hand to make recommendations. A comprehensive selection of fine wines will be stored in the cellar with a focus on the greatest Italy has to offer. The light and airy venue also includes a glass-fronted wine bar with a bespoke timber wine wall where you can buy your favourite wines.

Draycott Avenue, Chelsea, SW3 

Visit BottlesWine.bar

London Fields Taproom, Hackney

London Fields Brewery unveiled its new brewery and taproom in the arches of London Fields this month. Head brewer Talfryn Provis-Evans has designed the all-new space to create and serve fresh tank beer ranging from IPAs to traditional lager styles and seasonal sours. Local pop illustrator Luke McLean has decorated the venue with his psychedelic art pieces – including a Love Not War mural –and the space will host a regular programme of beer events, tastings and tours. Prairie Fire BBQ has come into the kitchen, cooking up Kansas City-style BBQ dishes from 14-hour applewood smoked pork and hickory-smoked chicken wings to its famous 16-hour hickory-smoked USDA brisket. There’s also an option to take away canned versions of the beer brewed on site – perfect for continuing the party back at home.

365-366 Warburton Street, Hackney, E8 3RR

Visit LondonFieldsBrewery.co.uk

Draughts, Dalston

Hackney’s board-games café has moved to Dalston. The relocation gives gamers a bigger and better opportunity to meet up and get their game on. Guests will be greeted by a fully stocked bar and booths. The main area will be broken down into different rooms and sections, each slightly different, including a huge games library with over 1,000 games featuring family favourites, retro classics and cult icons. Guests can book for £5 for four hours of non-stop gaming. With a seasonally changing food menu and rotating drinks, Draughts is good for a light bite, or grabbing something more substantial over a longer gaming session.

41 Kingsland High Street, Dalston, E8 2JS

Visit DraughtsLondon.com
 

The Manor Arms, Streatham

This contemporary pub has reopened with a fresh look. Well positioned between Tooting and Streatham Common, it now offers vibrant interiors and an outdoor area for al fresco dining and drinking. Aiming to be a pit stop for on-the-go commuters, young professionals and families, it serves craft beers (including local pours from the likes of Brixton Brewery), Young’s classic cask ales, international wines, spirits and cocktails. Open daily for brunch, lunch, dinner and Sunday roasts, the pub serves a selection of small plates and sharing boards alongside British pub including: pork, apricot and sage sausage with crushed celeriac mash and onion rings; lambshank shepherd’s pie with rainbow chard; and Jerusalem artichoke and Swiss chard quiche with watercress. Its botanical-themed Kite Room is set up for larger groups, while a new outdoor ‘lodge’ can be enjoyed through autumn and winter thanks to its fire pit. 
 
13 Mitcham Lane, Streatham, SW16 6LQ

Visit TheManorArms.com