How to party in London: a new generation of hedonism
From the free-love of baby-boomers, via the alcopop debauchery of the 90s, we've entered an age of abstemiousness. Or have we? It may seem that Millennials are too caught up in mindfulness and juicing to really let loose – but this new generation is re-defining and refining hedonism.
Gone are the nights of grungy all-night raves, glow-sticks and binge drinking, making room for more sophisticated and sexier hedonism to sweep in. The 'it' crowd are now raising glasses in the plushest of cocktail bars and pilgrimaging to the exclusive members' clubs deemed uncool five years ago.
In short, aesthetics is now of the uppermost importance in the London party scene, hand in hand with sharing your night on social media . If the loo isn't Instagramable, and your party-shoes can't be Kira Kira'd (we'll explain later) ditch 'em. Here's where London comes alive at night:
We've narrowed the list down to our three favourites:
Bar Swift: The most delicious cocktails in Soho? We think so. The Rosette is our favourite (who knew grapefruit and absinthe went so well together?
Scout: Simplicity and minimal waste (2017's biggest trend) is Scout's ethos and underpins the cocktail menu, which tells you exactly where it has sourced its ingredients (the wild camomile is from Brixton, for example).
Milk & Honey: Frequented by bartenders (always a good sign), this is another Soho spot that's hidden in plain sight, and – unusually for central London – these cocktails are great value for your money. It might me a members spot, but non-members can book up until 11pm. We recommend the 'French Pearl' - gin, mint, absinthe and lime.
