Ruby's (Don't grow up, it's a trap)

Ruby's is a drinking den like no other. Tucked away down some rickety stairs beneath an ever-changing old school cinema sign (the night I went it read 'Don't grow up, it's a trap), it's like going back in time. Peeling wallpaper, mismatched wooden furniture, classic cardboard coasters, you feel like you've stumbled into someone's living room or their opium den. And that's the point.

The barmen here are probably the friendliest I've met in London. With the inexplicable inability to guess my perfume and a promise of great drinks, these guys really make you feel at home. We started with a Blackberry Mojito - rum, chambord and mint, all muddled with fresh blackberries and served in milk bottles. Now I'm a big mojito fiend and raspberry ones usually get my vote but this one with the tangier fruit completely won me over. I'm sold.

I's French so we got talking about Paris and the absinthe soaked streets of Montmartre. Feeling a little bit naughty for a weekday, we asked the barmen if they could knock us something up with a little of the Green Fairy for good measure. So along came the Corpse Reviver. Absinthe, gin, Lillet Blanc, Cointreau and lemon juice combine to make one frosted little freak of a drink. Naturally, we loved it and were conjuring up images of tilting with Toulouse-Lautrec and friends in a world inspired by Moulin Rouge!

Ruby's is a perfect little place for a cocktail or three whatever night of the week. I'm just gutted I haven't been sooner. And the fact that the music they play is so on point it hurts (anywhere that plays Prince is a winner in my books) makes this place pretty damn special. What's even better is that they've just taken over my local The Cat And Mutton on Broadway Market so I'm super excited about a five minute walk to get my freaky fix. This cool cat gets a five out of five from me.