Barts is a speakeasy style cocktail bar that you will find located just off of the King’s Road in Chelsea. This bar has all the ingredients of a great cocktail bar. Once you have located the entrance, a pair of eyes appear through a slit in the door and request a secret password. Upon successful delivery of said password, the door is unbolted, opened and you are shown through to your table.
Barts has a rather impressive backstory. According to urban legend, this bar is somewhat of a time machine, taking you back to the 1920s prohibition where gangsters from Chicago have set up home in London and opened a bar. As a part of the Inception Group, these bars are no stranger to creating new worlds that their patrons can escape to, with their other locations including Mr Fogg’s, Cahoots and Maggie’s to name a few.
Whatever you choose to believe, this bar is nothing if not fun. The theatrics alone make for an exhilarating start to our evening, and we were excited as we sat down at our table for what was to come. Even the menu itself is a delight, being in the style of a comic book, fitting neatly into the speakeasy theme.
“There are so many bars replicating each other out there, but Barts provided us with a memorable evening, superb service and most of all intriguing and well-made cocktails which were a joy to experience.”
For my choice, I went for the 'Basil Faulty', which was shaken up with Russian Standard Original vodka, citrus, fresh basil and pineapple. Next up, I chose a classic Negroni, which saw Bombay Sapphire gin, Campari aperitif and Martini Riserva Speciale Rubino vermouth. Finally, I decided on 'The Alchemist' which was crafted with Russian Standard Original vodka, mint, cucumber, citrus, cloudy apple juice, elderflower cordial and egg white. The final cocktail was a personal favourite for me; this was a real showstopper.
First up for my partner was the 'I used to be a banker', which saw a mix of Oxley gin, Rinomato Americano Bianco aperitif, Essentae lemon verbena liqueur and grapefruit bitters. Next up was the 'An offer you can’t refuse', which was perhaps one of the most intriguing cocktails of the evening, being crafted with chestnut mushroom infused Remy Martin 1738 cognac, spiced butter syrup and black walnut bitters. Last up was the 'Chanel No. 3', which included No.3 gin, peach liqueur, citrus and aloe vera.
We adore cocktail bars that go above and beyond in their craft. There are so many bars replicating each other out there, but Barts provided us with a memorable evening, superb service and most of all intriguing and well-made cocktails which were a joy to experience. We can’t recommend it highly enough and cannot wait to return.
