Descend down the stairs to this prohibition-inspired speakeasy and you’ll find one of Fitzrovia’s most original looking bars – think floral wallpaper, lace tablecloths and mismatched furniture all of which combine to make it look a little like someone’s living room.
The clientele is mixed and made up of tourists, locals, businessmen and those who want to be deemed trendy, for Bourne and Hollingsworth is very much a place to see and be seen.
During the week you should be able to bag a stool or sofa – the perfect place to catch up over a cocktail or two – with ease, but come the week-end seats get snapped up early in the evening. Later on, the tiny space is primarily made for body bopping (there’s always an event going on) with the lights down low.
The bar is superbly stocked although the emphasis is on gin based, jazz aged cocktails served in tea cups. The Goose (Fresh lemon juice combined with vodka and Chilean pisco, brought to life with a syrup of gooseberries and elderflower cordial) gets our vote. Other good tasting cocktails Haute Living tried include The Gatsby (vodka, pomegranate syrup and raspberries shaken and lengthened with champagne) and the Old Fashioned (seasoned bourbon, rum or smokey mescal, stirred with house bitters, finished with orange and lemon zests) – both delivered at breakneck speed by the personable Paul.
Essentially this quirky Fitzrovia hideaway isn’t to everyone’s taste – much like marmite, you’ll either love or hate – but it certainly sparks conversation.
Bourne and Hollingsworth, 28 Rathbone Place, W1 (www.bourneandhollingsworth.com/bournes; info@bourneandhollingsworth.com)
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