The Bloomsbury Club Bar, review: Awash with gorgeousness

Drink like a king, on a throne of cushions, says David Ellis
Picture perfect: the outside terrace, lit with fairy lights
David Ellis @dvh_ellis24 November 2017

What they say: As befitting a bar in Bloomsbury, with all the connotations of Virginia Woolf and EM Forster, this spot takes influence from the 1920s and 30s – the golden age of cocktails.

The list has dug up forgotten classics and mixed up new concoctions inspired by the Set for which the bar is named.

What we say: Bad literary reputations lead to good drinks, it seems. Down a handful of steps is a cave awash with gorgeousness, attentive staff and enough cushions to build a fort, should you be into such things. Despite being an outside bar, it’s hidden from the road, so you’ll need to know its here: still, it’s kept busy by hotel patrons and the drinks, all classic, or classic with a twist, are worth coming for. Bloomsbury is a vague part of town, and this place, moments from the Dominion Theatre, is a bit of a haven from the coughing buses on Tottenham Court Road.

Good for: There’s a split in the bar: the outside terrace is a capony of green and summer light trickling in, and when the sun sets, a mesh of darkness with fairy lights peeping through. Come for a date, or bring friends: take a long table, be happy and loud, and order fizz on repeat.

Inside is a Deco den: polished wood, leather, expensive bottles teasing behind glass cabinets. It manages not to be mannered, with nothing falsely aged, no patina on the mirrors or mismatched furniture, but it’s a place for wintertime, somewhere to retreat to for scotch and brandy and port and all the rest of what you’d expect in a traditional club bar.

Old school, but not mannered: the bar inside

Order: They’ll hate us for saying this, but challenge them: explain what you like and see what they come up with. We had an armagnac and port concoction, which went down far too easily. The list works, though, split into their signatures (‘The Bloomsbury Set’) and the self-explanatory ‘Time Honoured’ picks. Try the The First Word (rye, yellow chartreuse, Benidictine, lemon), a sturdy drinker’s drink, the rye spicy and cutting, the lemon giving it even more of a kick. The Toreador (mezcal, white tequila, lime, apricot brandy) is proof not all mezcal needs to be a glass of smoke, and has a little brightness. Cocktails come in at around £10 - £13, which is pricey, and not unreasonable here: the skill in the drink and the setting makes for money well spent.

The best bars in London

1/48

By the way: The selection of bar snacks, at around £5 a plate, is worth raiding – the charcuterie board is really very, very good. If you’re in just for a nightcap, the spirits selection is vast, dotted with rarities. Try something new, with the credit card to hand.

Find it: 16-22 Great Russell St, WC1B 3NN,

Follow David Ellis on Twitter @dvh_ellis

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