Barts bar in London will charm you off your feet

Barts bar in London

Our rates out of 10:

Atmosphere: 10 Drinks: 9 Service: 9 Occasion: Great place to take someone on a date and if you want to go out for a quiet drink to catch up with friends.

We’ve found a favourite secret bar in London – Barts. When we decided to go and have a drink at this unusual venue, we did not realise how low key it really was.

We’re not exaggerating when we say that it took us a good 30 minutes to find it, in the end it was all worth it. It is a short walk from South Kensington tube station, located inside a standard looking apartment building. Even once you’ve asked for directions, you’ll still question yourself whether or not you’ve stumbled across the right place.

You’ll enter a small dark room covered with Micky Mouse wallpaper where you’ll see a tattoo and piercing sign. You ring a bell and a peep hole will slide open, the barman then decides whether or not he likes the look of you, if he does you’re in.

The first thing we noticed was how welcoming everyone was. The atmosphere was very laid back and intimate. We were charmed off our feet by the deco of the venue. Hanging on the wall you see things such as framed portraits, number plates, old radios, squash rackets and comics. There are no more than a dozen tables in this compact room and everything about it is different, starting from the menu.

The music played varies from jazz and swing to folk and blues, we heard some of our favourite songs from Billy Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald.

The cocktails we had were out of the ordinary. If you really want to taste something unique, the barmen do not hesitate to experiment with the drinks. The drinks do not come cheap but are without a doubt worth a try.

We had the Smoke Screen (£19.50), a strong perique tobacco liqueur cocktail that is served in a Dewar’s Signature box with strawberries and chocolate. The Basil Fawity (£11.50) was our favourite, you choose whether you want Iceberg Vodka or Bombay Sapphire gin, with fresh basil leaves, pineapple and lemon. The Charleston Crumble (£10.50), we would say is more of a girls drink, it comes with Russian Standard vodka, rhubarb, pomegranate and vanilla.

Outside there is a Cuban-style herb garden with a cove, shisha pipes and garden furniture. It usually shuts about an hour before the bar to avoid making too much noise for the surrounding residence.