Bourne & Hollingsworth Bar

Hidden in plain sight on a corner, down some nondescript wrought iron stairs, lies Bourne & Hollingsworth. From the same family as the Rev JW Simpson, and big sister to the newly opened B&H Buildings in Clerkenwell, Bourne & Hollingsworth is petal prohibition. A small square of a room with distressed furniture around the edges and a Victorian fireplace along one of the very floral walls, you'd be forgiven for thinking you'd stumbled into your great grandmother's living room. At first glance, it might feel a little odd but a couple of strong cocktails later, you'll find yourself in full swing.

Cocktails here aren't for the faint-hearted, the flavours and measures here are bold. We headed down on Monday night last week to check out the new Spring menu - strangely, the new ones I'd heard about were nowhere to be seen so we got stuck in with some of the classics on the menu. Quite a few are served in china teacups - I'm a little over this twee detail but I suspect B&H were 'doing it before it became a thing' elsewhere - or jamjars. Our favourites were 'Hoof' (in aforementioned teacup) which combined Irn Bru reduction with vodka into a guiltily bright orange concoction and another whose name escapes me that mixed white port with grape juice, vodka and soda and came in the ubiquitous jar.

This place pulls in the crowds at the weekend and finding a seat or a table can be tricky. It's a good little pitstop on your night out but it might not be your final destination.

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