London’s Most Instagram Worthy Cocktails

Let’s face it, we’ve ALL ordered something just for the sake of it looking nice on our Instagram feed. Sure, a glass of Pinot is our go-to – but any mention of rose petals or sparklers on a menu and we’ll happily double the cost, add a filter, and give it an air kiss for a boomerang Instastory (in the hope that your ex will see you looking hot and having fun). Just us? Ok.

Nowadays, cocktails menus are an absolute minefield. You thought that was a mojito? Surprise! We’ve added coriander, lavender petals, and a syrup you can’t quite pronounce. You’re wanting a martini? Sure, we’ve just named it after a Shakespearean play, despite the fact that it didn’t even exist during the initial casting of Macbeth. Nevertheless, weird and wacky cocktails are one of the best things about living in a city that doesn’t sleep. Even better when they’re two-for-one and accompanied with great pals or an even greater date. So, here’s our round-up of where you can really get your Insta-feed looking Insta-fab. You’ll never order a vodka lemonade ever again.

Cupid’s Arrow, 100 Wardour Street

Understated and elegant, just like you. Champagne to be classy, tequila to be naughty, and violet liqueur to be ~unexpected~. Say that last part with a raised eyebrow when you’re ordering it.

Lightbulb Moment, The Alchemist

THIS is the one that will have your friends commenting “Where is this?!”, and you can say something incredibly pretentious like: “Oh, I just rarely drink things without dry ice, now. Just like I don’t order meals in restaurants that don’t come with some form of foam.” It’s made with gin, Pimms, and ginger beer, so is also super refreshing, as well as making your friends think you’re cool(er).

Like A Bird, Lokhandwala

Glassware has come on in leaps and bounds since millennials turned 18 and got their first bar jobs. Gone are the boring hurricane glasses and a miniature umbrella, and IN are cocktails served in actual bird cages. It’s made with gin, white wine, peach liqueur, and orange puree, and you slurp it from a miniature glass bird. It’s so decadent, you’ll feel like Oscar Wilde in an opium den.

BBB Pashion, Beach Blanket Babylon 

Beach Blanket Babylon is THE place to meet someone who’s idea of a cocktail bar is an All Bar One – suggest this to your next Tinder date and we take no responsibility for your Uber ride home at midnight. The Notting Hill location is nothing short of beautiful, with plenty of squashy armchairs to cosy up with a drink, so any cocktail looks stunning. The BBB Pashion is a rum based drink, with raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries, so the only thing you need to worry about is it staining your lips. Lick them clean while maintaining eye contact and that Uber may have to wait for a few hours…

XO Blood, Circus XO

Not everyone has an Instagram feed that’s pretty and pastel, and if your aesthetic is something on the bolder side, then the XO Blood ticks all boxes. Lemon infused vodka, orgeat, watermelon, and galangal is a surprisingly delicate drink to sip from a reasonably realistic looking organ. It gives a whole other meaning to the ‘heart’ emoji.

Espresso Martini, Dalloway Terrace

You know that phrase ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’? The humble espresso martini is probably exactly what the quip is all about. Dalloway Terrace is another absolutely gorgeous location and has enough greenery per square inch to make it feel impossible that you’re in Zone 1. For any feed obsessed with marble and house plants, you can’t miss this.

Gimlet, The Artesian

You’ll have to be a gin fan for this, but who really isn’t in 2018? Three small glasses in a block of ice, each containing Plymouth gin and a different type of lime. Yep, it’s that simple – just various varieties of the citrus fruit adding different flavours to the spirit. The coloured glasses and ice make for a great shot with some increased contrast and saturation – and it sounds slightly more elegant and less like you’re trying to get hammered than a ‘triple G&G’. Perhaps you’ll never need tonic again.