Bitter Sweet is a cocktail bar discretely hidden on Kingly Court and nicely protected from the hubbub that is Soho. Given its location, getting to Bitter Sweet is easy, although finding the venue is a slightly trickier affair as, like most members’ clubs, Bitter Sweet has a discrete and unassuming outside. This transforms into an aesthetic delight once you enter. Having walked down stairs and through a wooden panel tunnel, you find yourself in the main body of Bitter Sweet.
The Venue
Bitter Sweet is a very intimate venue throughout. The two private alcoves provide a perfect setting for groups (up to 20) to sit and drink without the fear of having their function interrupted by large swathing groups of boogying-revellers in their space. The intimate feel is compounded by the venue’s low curved ceilings, dim-lighting and small size.
The beautiful contemporary décor seems to transform at every turn giving you a new and evolving visual experience as you make your way through the venue. The fact that no two zones are exactly the same adds a touch of exclusivity to the place – perfect for keeping members and regular customers happy.
The Atmosphere & Clientele
A fun, young and cool crowd fill the seats at Bitter Sweet. The whole vibe at Bitter Sweet was a calm but fun environment where people could sit, talk, drink or dance in close quarters with no single activity compromising another. Bitter Sweet, like its cocktails, falls into two categories; great place for early catch-up, chatty drinks followed by a really cool boutique DJ bar experience.
With the generous happy hour running until 8pm or 10pm, depending on the day, Bitter Sweet is the prefect place for chic drinks without breaking the bank. On Thursday-Saturday after around 10pm the other side of Bitter Sweet rears its delightful head. The DJ takes centre stage, the chairs and tables get voluntarily shoved aside and the space becomes an amazing, almost secret club! The music was great, catering for most ears, with a swing between commercial house/dance and more edgy house.
The Drink
I’m a massive fan of cocktails and was completely blown away by the depth and quality of the cocktails here. Given its name the house cocktails follow one of two themes: bitter or sweet (surprise surprise). So I thought one of each was the way to go. Bitter – Mr. Marmalade: Made with orange flavoured Campari, Grand Marnier and Orange bitters, and served with crushed ice. This was delicious and perfectly made. But the real winner was the ‘sweet’. Sweet – pinstripe cocktail: This cocktail has trouble written all over it. The taste was delicious, not too distant from a raspberry sorbet and the alcohol taste had completely vanished (hence the trouble). You could have dozens of these before knowing it was alcoholic (your slurred words and reduced balance is likely to give that away). A brilliant drink though not the manliest thing you’re likely to hold in your life.
The menu also boasts a number of classic and signature cocktails. The level of talent behind the bar is such that there’s a good chance they can make you any drink you can think of, whether or not it is written down. Most of the wine and champagne is sold by the glass and there is a wide selection of premium spirits and bottled beers if cocktails are not your thing.
Summary
In a part of London that’s dripping with places which seem to be carbon copies of one another, Bitter Sweet certainly stands out. An accessible, chic, fun-time members’ club that can appeal to a younger crowd but still maintains the quality of some of London’s front-runners is a rare trait (without the busting the wallet). It seems Bitter Sweet is one of the exceptions, that prove this rule. A winning all-in-one venue? Most definitely. I'll see you by the bar, I’ll be the one holding the girly red cocktail.
