spotted, and tried: shochu lounge, 37 charlotte street

shochu cocktails, originally uploaded by gorgeoux.

Shochu Lounge is one of the best cocktail joints in London, to my knowledge, though it may feel like a venue in Manhattan, which I'm still to visit. In the past two years we've visited it about seven times. we would go more often if we weren't worried we'd abuse it, or interested to find the other good cocktail bars.

Our last visits at Shochu have been quite close to each other: last Sunday, and last Thursday. On Sunday we found it quiet, but operating pleasantly late, unlike most central venues. On Thursday, it was loud, full, glimmering from candlelight and the weekend gusto of the patrons.

In the first photo above, you're looking at a Mint Julep cocktail suggested by the bartender. It looks like a Mojito, but the first sip will leave no doubt that you're dealing with a bourbon drink. Its pair, also suggested by the bartender, was a Cognac Sour that amazed me. Part of its secret was the white wine topping at the end. Neither drink was on the menu, but I believe it's only a matter of time for the Cognac Sour.

In the second photo above, you're seeing the Liquorice Whiskey Sour, which is the first use of liquorice I've ever enjoyed, as a much nicer sweetener in this cocktail than the usual sugar. The liquorice bits topping could be skipped, though, because they carry the aniseed flavour common to liquorice candies, but completely unrelated with liquorice otherwise.

The staff is always smooth and courteous at Shochu Lounge. They float through the guests, in and out of the bar, to the cloakroom that's not in sight, to the kitchen probably connected to its counterpart at Roka, the neighbouring Japanese restaurant. We have never had a complaint at Shochu, and we made complaints at, say, Fat Duck.

Priced between 8 and 10 pounds, the cocktails may seem on the pricey side of liquid treats in London, but keep in mind that the next door Charlotte Street Hotel charges 12 pounds a piece on its posh terrace and fails to deliver such inspiring drinks. We couldn't recommend Shochu higher.

Bonus? A quick recap of notable cocktail venues in London:

Three stars: Shochu Lounge, Octave
Two stars: Iniquity, Thirst (though it depends on bartender)
One star: Bamboo, Drunken Monkey