The Nightjar

It’s a Shoreditch bar, but not as we know it, for Nightjar harks back to the speakeasy aesthetic of yesteryear. Didn’t the now-defunct Last Days of Decadence attempt that I hear you say? Yes, but Nightjar are clearly taking their upmarket ethos very seriously, as bartenders wear smart outfits and there is even a no-trainers policy on the door. Booking is advised, as all those seeking a drink of the less boisterous kind in this neighbourhood flock here on busy nights, and there is live music mostly of the swing and jazz variety on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Sit at the wooden bar or on one of the soft leather banquettes, either way it’s a more soothing, candle-lit experience than the drinking holes of Shoreditch High Street offer. Even its location on City Road takes it away from the hustle and bustle of the main strip, and if you blink you’ll miss the non-descript doorway that leads down to this basement bar (memorise the door number as you won’t spot the sign). The cocktail list is divided into pre-prohibition, prohibition and post-war drinks and are priced at around £10; alternatively order a punch bowl (or an oak tankard, or an Art Deco shaker) of various concoctions to share among a group. The Morning Glory Fizz with whisky, absinthe, champagne, lemon and lime will revive the most listless of corpses, or for an old classic their gin martini can be made with the gin of your choice, you can, if you wish, splash out £60 on the 1913 Old Tom gin. When you get peckish you can soak up the spirits with fried plantain, beef carpaccio canapés or homemade jerky.