Cocktail Heaven: Bourne & Hollingsworth

Bourne & Hollingsworth is my 'best kept really want to impress someone' secret. And y'know, it usually works. It's a little 30s themed bar and if ever there was a bar that could be described as 'twee', this would be it. But it's very much the right side of twee. Just. The bar is named after the shop that later became a rather famous department store. It looks like it's still stuck in a time-warp.

So you get the chintzy wallpaper (complete with 'shabby chic' peeling), you get the mismatched upholstered chairs and the white tablecloths. But this tiny little shoe box of a place is still fun. It's still somehow modern. And the cocktails are fabulous. Really really excellent.

My favourite is the Sebastian Martini. Passionfruit, vodka, champagne and other wonderful goodies all in a martini glass. Yummy! The bellinis here are great as well. In fact, the only cocktail I don't like is the lychee martini, but everyone else I know is a fan. Cocktails will set you back about £7 or so.

If you're lucky, you'll find little plays going on, or 30s themes parties. Sometimes there's a band. There's always very attractive bar staff. More frequently than we'd like to admit, there's a little gaggle of tipsy, pretty girls in the corner. That would be the Domestic Sluts. Come and say hi.

Bourne and Hollingsworth is in Central London on Rathbone place, right at the bottom of Charlotte Street. See those stairs by Bambou? That's where you're going. Nearest tube is Goodge Street/ Tottenham Court Road.

Flickr image form Ferg's photostream.