69 Colebrooke Row

This delightful cocktail bar tucked down an Islington side street looks decidedly understated on entry. A tiny room with some 10 small tables, a small bar, and a piano. That’s it. But add in a short list of sublime seasonal cocktails, the kind of staff you’d expect to find in a five-star hotel, a complimentary cocktail on arrival if you’re lucky (in our case, a Prairie Oyster shot that alchemy had transformed into a playful raw egg lookalike) and live music and you have something very special. On a dark winter's night, it's a particularly welcome haven from any storm; I’d go so far as to say heaven on earth.