Savoury sips: The best London bars blurring the lines between food and drink

Is your idea of hell a sugary cocktail which tastes like the liquid version of a pack of Haribo sweets? Is your dream drink garnished not with a cherry, but a pickle or a tomato slice? If so, you’re in luck, because savoury cocktails are taking London by storm. Yes, certain bars have dabbled in the world of savoury sips before, but this time around, the cocktails in question are very different beasts, crafted by a growing number of mixologists approaching their art with the skill of a scientist, analysing flavour profiles, tweaking ingredients and relying on tech such as sous vide machines to create savoury cocktails which are deliciously drinkable.

And if you’re still not convinced, Nick Jackson, cocktail connoisseur at Spanish tapas brand Barrafina, which has five venues in London, suggests starting with a martini. “Dirty martinis are currently paving the way for a lot of people, as both olives and brine are pretty familiar savoury flavours to most palates these days,” points out Nick. “It’s a drink which once seemed inaccessible, but which now seems to sit in much more familiar territory.” As for his theory about the sudden popularity of savoury cocktails? “It’s largely down to the development of imbibers’ palates,” says Nick. “People are more open to a breadth of savoury flavours for various reasons, including the growing popularity of kombucha to the current thirst for to matcha and martinis. There’s certainly a sense that there isn’t the same appetite for fruit-forward and sugary drinks.”

The best London bars for savoury sips

The Bar Below, Piccadilly

This subterranean sanctum, the brainchild of legendary mixologist Oskar Kinberg, is a thing of beauty, with a museum-like display of bottles behind a stunning bar carved from acacia. Tech plays a large part in the creation of the cocktails, which are seasonal, spectacular and, most importantly, delicious. Savoury sips have always had a starring role on the menu, and one of the newest additions is the Barometer, made with Mikolasch vodka, chervil and walnut, although we’re also huge fans of the Cross-Eyed Mary, a vodka-based tipple made with olive oil, tomato, sherry and a hit of spice. Sounds weird, but it works.

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Bar Antoine, Mayfair

The mixologists at the Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane’s Bar Antoine have a serious passion for savoury cocktails and, more importantly, a knack for packing them full of flavour. Our favourite examples include the Peach & Mustard Margarita, made with tequila, peach eau-de-vie and mustard tincture, the Bond-worthy Cornichon Martini with olive oil vodka and the Fig-Affair Paloma, served with a beautiful Comté tuille garnish. Bar manager Leon Gasco is a huge fan of pickles in cocktails – but not just any pickles. “I always have to go the French route and opt for a cornichon,” says Gasco. “It strikes the perfect balance between savoury and bittersweet, while its crisp crunch keeps the palate refreshed with every sip of our martini. For the Cornichon Martini, we fat-wash the vodka with olive oil, giving it a richer texture that lets the cornichon's flavour shine through beautifully.”

Fitz’s Bar, Kimpton Fitzroy, Russell Square

The cocktails at this funky bar, with its potted ferns, velvet-clad booths and Grecian columns, don’t just taste amazing – they look truly spectacular too, thanks to the team’s decision to base the latest cocktail menu on synaesthesia, a condition which causes people to see colours when experiencing certain senses, whether it’s hearing a certain musical chord or tasting a certain flavour. The good news? You don’t need to have it to enjoy the bar’s cocktails, which are especially popular with fans of dark spirits. Highlights include the Mezcal-based Black Hole, made with sherry, mushrooms and walnut, the deliciously dark Caduceus, made with Macallan Double Cask, peanut butter spirit, porcini mushroom and cherry vinegar, and the ruby-red Taboo, made with whisky, tequila, chili and pineapple.

PocketSquare Skyline Bar & Terrace, Whitechapel

This bar’s cocktails are as stunning as the view you’ll enjoy – the bar is on the ninth floor rooftop of the Hyatt Place London City East. The cocktail menu is inspired by East London’s creativity, as well as the capital’s architecture. We recommend starting with the Gherkin. And yes, gherkin juice features on its ingredients list, but bear with us. The addition of chipotle and lime brings a gorgeous balance to this tequila-based drink, created as a modern twist on the margarita. The passion for savoury drinks doesn’t just apply to the cocktails, either – gin and tonic fans can upgrade their G&Ts by opting for Edinburgh Gin’s Rhubarb & Ginger gin, and the bar is also one of the few to stock FAIR Quinoa Vodka - the world's first certified Fairtrade and organic spirit distilled entirely from Andean quinoa.

Hausu, Peckham

For further proof that menus filled with sickly-sweet tipples are a thing of the past, head to Hausu, a cosy, minimalistic bar famous for its savoury concoctions. The most popular drinks include the Salted Iberiko Tomato Martini and the Mezcal & Sesame Old Fashioned, although the Fennel Negroni, made with 13 Gin, Cocchi, Dry Vermouth, Caracão, lemon and toasted fennel, and the Vodka, Plum and Yoghurt Sour are equally moreish. The beauty of Hausu’s drinks is their drinkability – the cocktails are a labour of love for the crack team of mixologists, and the Vodka, Plum and Yoghurt Sour is a great example. “We vac-pack our plums in vodka to intensify the flavour, then fat-wash the liquid through yogurt to clarify it,” says Tom Middleton-Joseph, co-director at Hausu. “It’s such an easy-going drink - although it’s quite strong it feels very light in alcohol. It sort of tastes like an adult squash!”

Bar Daskal, London Bridge

Now for something completely different (but just as delicious). Bar Daskal is a Spanish wine and cocktail bar, and its drinks are a flavour-packed tribute to some of Spain’s most famous ingredients. Take the Asados, made with Herradura Plata tequila, Campari, grapefruit soda and roasted red peppers – but not just any peppers. These ones are cooked over coals, hence the cocktail’s wonderfully smoky depth. For martini fans, it’s got to be the Con Sal y Humo, a punchy thirst-quencher made with Gin Mare and La Copa extra dry vermouth and livened up with smoked piparra brine for a hit of savoury smokiness.

La Petite Maison, Mayfair

A tomatini is a great entry drink for those dipping their toe in the world of savoury cocktails for the first time, and the one at La Petite Maison is legendary. First served at La Petite Maison Dubai, fans of the bar’s version (made exclusively with Ketel One Vodka) include Charli XCX, Harry Styles, Tom Cruise and Beyoncé, and La Petite Maison subsequently spearheaded the campaign for a National Tomatini Day, which now takes place every November. “The tomato provides an elegant backbone that complements the smooth-yet-peppery profile of Ketel One Vodka,” says bar manager Tibor Krascenics. “Fernando Pensato balsamic vinegar helps tie all the ingredients together, while a touch of salt and pepper brings the savoury dimension to life. The result is a cocktail that is distinctive, refreshing and highly approachable. It strikes a unique balance between savoury and refreshing, making it incredibly easy to enjoy.”

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