Once home to characters like Virginia Woolf, George Bernard Shaw and Thomas Paine, Fitzrovia has always been London's most boho area. Nowadays, it's time for sleek cocktails bars and fine-dining restaurants to shine. Think of Fitzrovia as the good-looking person that you've fancied for years, but who's always been in a long term relationship (don't be coy, you know exactly what I mean). From elegant cocktail bars fit for the Fitzgeralds to some of the best casual dining spots in town, there's never a dull night out. Here are seven venue's that show why Fitzrovia's always near the top of our list.
The Bloomsbury Club Bar
Like I said, Fitzrovia's cocktail bar scene never seems to dip below amazing. The Bloomsbury Club Bar is based in the swanky, four-star Bloomsbury Hotel and harks back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Sharing its name with an influential group of writers, intellects and artists, the cocktail menu is peppered with both signature concoctions and ones named after members within the group; try Duncan Grant on for size, it's got plenty of kick. But if you're not won over by the delicately-made cocktails, the Cole Porter-spewing gramophone, mahogany colours and airy vibe is certain to have you swooning in no time. Be sure to grab a table.
Grab a drink in the saloon bar or stare up at the plane and crane dotted sky on the idyllic terrace.
Cocktails In The City: Summer Edition - Bedford Square Gardens
Make no mistake, Fitzrovia's not trying to hide its cocktail-addiction. In fact, the area's celebrating this healthy obsession - enter Cocktails In The City. The much-loved event is returning to Bedford Square Gardens on the last weekend of July, pulling together the twenty-six best cocktails bars in the capital. Marrying together London's cocktail scene with all the Vitamin C-heavy fun that we love about a British garden party, the event will draw in cocktail lovers from all over the capital. To really win you over, there'll be crazy golf, street food vendors, cocktail masterclasses and live music on offer too. And best of all, tickets are only £15. Anyone for a flower pot daiquiri?
Try on twenty-six of London's best cocktail bars for size and sample the city's oddest recipes at Fitzrovia's Cocktails In The City.
Flight Club Bloomsbury
If the thought of sweaty men and brightly-coloured dinosaur outfits hadn't convinced you that darts was a wonderful sport, give the team at Fitzrovia's Flight Club a look-in. Free from all of the above, book an oche here and make full use of the bar's interactive scoreboards and huge drinks list. It perfectly reflects the carefree vibe that's found in most of Fitzrovia's bars and promises something a little different from a night out in the city. So whether you're the d**k shouting "180" after every throw or are just trying to hit the board with your attempts, you definitely won't forget this Fitzrovia night out.
Step up to the oche and challenge your mates to a few easygoing rounds of darts.
Mac & Wild
Fresh game dishes and stunning sides - might sound like a simple formula, but it's one that's helped the Mac and Wild team rise to the top of London's culinary ladder. Claiming to be able to trace your cut of meat all the way back to the green field it was reared in - though there's not actually any way for verifying that - the chefs use some of Scotland's finest meat suppliers, like Ardgay Game and MacDuffs, to create their dishes. Better still their love affair with the Highlands continues to the bar, where guests can indulge in a few drams of the finest Scotch money can buy. Ever tried a venison steak with mac 'n' cheese?
The secret to Mac and Wild's success is clear - fresh game, even better Scotch and side dishes that burst off the palate.
Bourne and Hollingsworth
A doff to Fitzrovia's subtler side, Bourne and Hollingsworth is a colourful basement bar located below Charlotte Street. Having reopened in September 2016, the bar has forgotten the cliched 1920s theme and now features a more modern, original decor with the perfect pow of in-your-face colour. Think patterned armchairs, weird wall paper and a vintage cocktail bar that helps to balance things out. Check it all out for yourself.
With plenty of signature cocktails and probably around 150 different colours, Bourne and Hollingsworth definitely stands out.
Calcutta Street
Serving recipes as old as time and hoping to offer Londoner's a taste of what life in 'The City Of Joy' is like, Calcutta Street will always get two thumbs up from us. The restaurant was created by Shrimoyee Chakraborty who, before taking the big culinary plunge, could be found at some of London's biggest pop-up food sites. Now with her feet firmly cemented in the area, her restaurant goes one step beyond just offering traditional and experimental East Indian dishes, serving Bengali-inspired Shortbort cocktails. Don't believe us? Book a table and try one for yourself.
Be certain to try dessert here - India's Bengal region is famous for its sweet tooth after all.
Reverend JW Simpson
No bar better celebrates Fitzrovia's long history than Reverend JW Simpson, a spot named after its former resident. The venue was actually discovered by accident; builders were demolishing a next-door basement when they discovered this hidden flat. On closer inspection, they found reference to the good reverend who had lived and worked in the Parish of Fitzrovia up until 1986. Still boasting the same room dividers and wall coverings, you can deal with your sins in a different way these days by sinking into one of the bar's hand-crafted cocktails. Grab a table in what we reckon was his living room and be sure to raise a glass to this spot's namesake.
The team have gone to great lengths to ensure the bar holds onto its basement-apartment feel.
